Kallen's redemption in classic three-act structure
by Obento box
Summary: Standing by the discarded facade of Zero, Kallen saw her own motivations for following Lelouch on their journeys in the reflection of his obsidian mask. In the end, it wasn't a symbol she remained loyal to, it was the person who created that symbol. And if that man decided to sit upon the Britannian throne, then she might as well make herself comfortable leaning against his seat.
1. The Retcon Connection

**The Retcon Connection**

**Kōzuki Kallen, Black Knight Ace**

**Ikaruga**

**R2 ep20 parallel**

Out onto the vast open sky painted orange by a sinking sun, Kallen cast her gaze towards the direction of Japan from above the deck of the Ikaruga. She found herself at a loss for thoughts as the radiance slowly descended under the horizon. Perhaps for the first time since childhood, Kallen came to a metaphorical crossroads in her life after everything that happened only a few hours ago.

Zero had died. Killed by the Black Knights that he himself created, killed by an elaborate scheme cooked up by Britannia's Second Prince. But also killed by Kallen herself, through her hesitation and inaction.

She was certain that if Lelouch asked her to offer her life for his escape, Kallen would've gladly given him the opportunity at a priceless cost she was willing to pay. Yet the former royalty decided to push her aside through another one of his countless lies, once more donning the mask of a merciless strategist deceiving others to achieve his wicked ambitions.

However, Kallen knew better. She understood that under his mask of indifference Lelouch was a human with a beating heart just like hers. And like her, he had suffered great torment and tremendous hardship on his journey to carve out a better future. Like her, the laughter they shared with Ashford's Student Council and the pride they felt with every Black Knight victory was not a lie. The connection they had formed between a leader and his most loyal subordinate was not a lie.

"How do you always trick me like this… Lelouch." Kallen remarked to herself, out of the earshot of the many Black Knights patrolling their home.

That was why she realized her true feelings. She was in love with him, whether he took on the mantle of Zero or Lelouch meant nothing next to her earnest passion of wanting to be together with the man who changed her destiny. Only through her betrayal could she finally come to terms with those feelings, the irony of their circumstances was not lost on Kallen as her mind had set its sight on the next step to take.

_Nunnally is gone, Shirley is gone… and without us, Lelouch has lost everything. If he meant what he said and he really wants me to live, then I'm the only one left for him… oh, and also… _While performing some complex mental gymnastics to convince herself that Lelouch had shared her feelings, Kallen remembered the one other person who ranked equally high on his list of family.

_C.C., well now that she's gone stup— now that she's not herself anymore this place will become dangerous for her, I should get her outta here. Even if I don't know where Lelouch is right now, the two of us will find him eventually. _Disregarding what C.C. could potentially mean to her relationship with Lelouch, Kallen still saw the green-haired witch as somewhat of a friend she cared enough to save.

Without reluctance in her steps, Kallen headed in the direction of Zero's quarter searching for one of the only allies Lelouch had left. However, her hunt would be concluded prematurely once she rode down the elevator and noticed the gigantic Mordred casually floating off the deck of the Ikaruga.

"-Yes, because I appreciate what you did. As far as giving me my Geass."

"Says the woman who never fulfilled her contract."

Kallen couldn't help but think she just eavesdropped on a massive secret not meant for her ears, then again maybe those two women shouldn't be discussing such sensitive topics out in the open. There they were, the Knight of Six Anya Alstreim speaking riddles with a normal C.C. who seemed just like her usual annoying self. The Guren pilot couldn't decide what to be more impressed by; her luck in finding her target so easily or their luck for not being discovered any time sooner.

"If you think that, will you come with me?" Alstreim asked C.C. while Kallen hid in the shadows off to the side, not understanding half of their cryptic messages.

"Right, but hold on a moment. There's something I need to take." C.C replied to the knight's slight surprise.

_What does she even own that is this important?_ _…How is she gonna bring a pizza… oh, the plushie? This woman is impossible…_

Nevertheless, seizing the opening given by C.C.'s obsession with Pizza Hut, Kallen bolted to the hangar where her polished steed awaited.

_Whatever they're up to it's gonna have something to do with Geass, and if it's Geass related it's probably Lelouch related as well. Right now, following them is my best shot at getting some answers. _The justification Kallen came up with sounded fair in her head, and probably in reality as well.

Once she reached where the Guren was being kept secured and elegant, there was only one obstacle left to prevent her progress.

"—Kallen, where are you going? You're not a part of the search party." Seated within the Guren, her screen flickered alive and displayed the portrait of Ohgi who no doubt spotted her unit's request for takeoff.

"—I- er… might know where Zero is." Kallen reacted quickly, even though she was prepared for the scenario, she still couldn't lie as masterfully as Lelouch did.

"—What!? Where do you think he is?"

"—He was a student at the Ashford Academy long before he was Zero, and I heard he had a cooperative connection with the Ashfords. I think he might be heading there now. I'll go back to that school since I'm pretty familiar with the place." Oddly, Kallen didn't feel a drip of remorse for so nonchalantly lying to her brother's best friend.

"—I see… that is certainly likely. Be careful on your way over, we have a ceasefire with Schneizel's forces but the Britannians back at Tokyo would still see you as an enemy."

"—I know, I'm turning off my IFF and going off-radar. Don't send anyone after me, Zero trusts me the most and anyone else might spook him." Kallen said as she flipped a few switches to remove the broadcast signal of her Guren.

"—I understand, stay safe out there Kallen. We won't be able to track once you're outside the Ikaruga's detection range."

_I'll be really pissed off otherwise._ Kallen concealed her true intention and only nodded to gain Ohgi's approval. "—Yeah, I'll bring Zero back… or bring him down."

"—Thank you for your… thank you Kallen, I'll sortie the Guren ASAP." And true to his word, half a minute later the launch pad was ready for Kallen's departure.

"—Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements, taking off!" Blasting off from the Ikaruga at almost Mach speed, Kallen found it funny how the Britannian flag that popped up over the Japanese flag didn't anger her as it once did.

**Kamine Island**

Coasting below the shadow of a cloud-covered moon, Kallen glided her Guren to a stop deep in the jungles of Kamine Island far from the ensuing battle consuming the Britannian forces. If she had to hazard a guess for why the occupiers were fighting amongst themselves there was no doubt in her mind that Lelouch was at play.

_What is he up to? …What am I up to?_ Kallen asked her inner self, wondering for an answer she didn't hold.

Tailing after the Mordred and arriving at the island in the middle of a mutiny was more or less was just an educated gamble on Kallen's part. In all honesty, she couldn't dream to predict what would await her by naturally following C.C. and Alstreim on their little trip. Therefore, whatever laid ahead of her at the end of the treelines as she ran towards the sound of voices could be anything, and she wasn't certain if she was primed for what she would find.

"-Some people refer to it as God." A woman's sombre voice echoed, a voice Kallen was familiar with which halted her sprint to a creep.

"Was that what I saw when we met at Narita?" Another person spoke, this time the tone belonged to the Knight of Seven.

"There, it was mixed with your personal consciousness. However, I don't know what it was that you saw."

"How irresponsible."

"Do you enjoy letting others peep into your mind?" To her taunt, Suzaku answered nothing. "What we call people are masks worn by the collective unconscious. They're windows that open into the sea of minds and memories. People's minds are—"

"-Forget it. It's too messed up for me to do anything. C.C, could you please?" Interrupted by the shorter girl, C.C. turned away from her explanation of their strange cult-like powers.

"Are you really going in?"

"Of course! Charles is waiting for us, after all. It would have been so easy if you'd pass your code to him." When the response Alstreim sought after wasn't given, she faced C.C and reached out to grip her hand. "Well, I'll go first."

For reasons Kallen's earthly mind couldn't possibly comprehend, the crumbled ruins flashed red along with C.C.'s forehead. As the crimson symbols continued to reverberate steady, Kallen could almost spot what seemed like a ghost floating from Alstreim's body into the ancient gate.

Afterwards, the young Knight's body fainted into Suzaku's arms, as if the strings tying her soul to her flesh had been severed.

"Kururugi Suzaku, we're similar, you and I."

"Similar?"

"In the way that we both wish to die, yet we can't."

"That's not similarity, it's just a coincidence." Suzaku denied C.C.'s suggestion, yet his voice sounded like it was protruding further away than the green-haired witch. "Like how coincidentally, you're in a similar position the last time something like this happened, Kallen."

He called out to her; he got the drop on her once again.

Exposed and unprepared, Kallen rose out from behind the bushes she was using as cover. C.C. shot her a typically bored stare but said nothing more, allowing the Black Knight to register her focus solely on Suzaku alone.

"Last time too, all you did was run away and allow Zero to be captured. Are you here to do the same?" His tone cold and unchanging, his monotonous glance set a fire of anxiety in Kallen's heart.

"I'm here to seek an answer only Zero can provide… and to atone for my betrayal if that is his wish. None of which involves you." Kallen said steadfast, her complex apprehension for Suzaku didn't alter her outward appearance of determination.

"Did you follow the Mordred?" The pizza-obsessed girl broke apart the aura of tension.

"You weren't exactly hiding it." C.C. let slip a soft chuckle at Kallen's reply. "And you're back to your normal self, good for you."

"I can't go on vacation forever, and you're not the only one who got business with Lelouch."

"Then let's go to where he is," Kallen uttered confidently, only to realize how unfounded her confidence was. "…Where is he?"

"…Please tell me you at least heard half of what I said to Kururugi Suzaku."

"I caught the part about people being God as a collective or something… and it's consciousness that's unconscious?" C.C. visibly sighed. "…Sorry, I'm not an occult expert, okay!?"

"We're going to the World of C, it's where the collective human unconsciousness is. That's basically what God is. Think of it as the spirit of all humans, it's what separates individuals, you from me, the living from the dead. It's where Lelouch is with the Emperor." The mention of Britannia's most powerful man snatched Kallen's attention from the magical mumble-jumble.

"The Emperor!? He's here!?"

"He is, and he wants to kill God to create a single consciousness. It'll merge every single person to one being."

"And you're a part of this plan?" Could Kallen be outraged at C.C.'s apparent betrayal, she couldn't really tell herself.

"So far… I've been rather uncooperative, but that might end here."

"And you, Suzaku. Do you agree with the Emperor's plan?" Kallen directed the attention to the Japanese teen who's been standing by the side listening quietly.

"Never heard of it, I just came here to kill him. But for this plan he has in mind… I guess we'll see." For the moment, Kallen wanted to believe Suzaku wasn't sure of his own alignment just like herself.

"I'm sure he'll disagree, if it was up to Lelouch."

"There's only one way to find out." C.C. calmly declared, her hand motioning for Kallen to come closer.

"So what is it that you want, C.C.?" Before taking her hand, there was one final question left for Kallen to figure out.

"I… seek my own death, only through Lelouch's Geass can he eventually kill me. That's why I used him all this time, it's why I prioritized his survival." C.C. briefly looked away from meeting Kallen's fiery gaze.

"Any regrets?" Suzaku tagged in.

"As if. I'm an undying witch, I abandoned my humanity long ago."

"I'm sure you'll find a different answer down the road." Kallen stated, her shining optimism breached the cold shell of the ageless nameless woman if only for a second.

"…What're you saying… anyway, do you want to go across or not?"

"Of course, that is why I came here." Assured in her decision, Kallen took the outstretched hand presented to her.

"I will go as well. I cannot allow myself to stand here and do nothing." Suzaku had also arrived at the same conclusion as the red-haired ex-rebel.

"Oh, then you'll have to hold Kallen's hand. I've to be touching this doorway, you see."

The two reviled rivals glared down each other again, not a word was spoken or a message passed for what felt like minutes on end. However, Kallen eventually found the resolve within herself to offer Suzaku a connection.

"I… don't know if I hate you or not, Kururugi Suzaku. But I think I understand why you did what you did." At her revelation, The Eleven pilot recoiled in shock.

"I killed… over thirty million people!"

"And if Lelouch had ordered me, I'd have killed thirty million more." Before Suzaku could make a retort, a strange otherworldly sensation overtook Kallen's body.

— —

"I see. The battle between Britannia and the Black Knights was all to lure C.C. out. So, from the very beginning, I was just a nuisance. A meaningless noise to the world." Lelouch's pensive monologue appeared to be aimed at nobody in particular, but she knew that he was more perceptive than to talk like that to himself.

"What do you guys think of this?" He spun around and was greeted by the humourless expressions of Suzaku and C.C., Kallen herself couldn't find the right mood to exhibit.

"So, you noticed my arrival." C.C. commented.

"You're back to normal now, it is necessary for the plan, isn't it?"

"Exactly." In her place, the Emperor answered.

Never before had Kallen seen the ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire with her naked eyes, and she wasn't sure if it was an experience worth treasuring. His mere posture was so oppressive it demanded the submission of all who laid their eyes upon him, even Kallen felt weak in her knees and a traitorous desire to comply.

"Therefore, it doesn't make sense for you to come here as well, Kururugi."

"And your Black Knight friend too, curious thing you've done, C.C." The woman with the same appearance as the ghost that possessed Alstreim's body remarked her unexpected advent. Kallen could only look away to avoid their eyes from meeting.

"I suppose you're right. I heard you were already immortal. I'm here because there's something I want to confirm." Suzaku firmed his own standing, making Kallen shamefully wonder if she was the only one affected by the Emperor's menace. "Is it true that you're creating a world with all beings as one?"

"Yes, it would be a world both Euphie and Nunnally wanted. A kind world."

"I see. Now I understand."

"C.C., now that we are all here, the plan can commence. I shall grant your wish after it's complete."

At the Emperor's proclamation, his extended palm showed the symbol of Geass that even Kallen could recognize. And from it, a ray of crimson luster shined in the direction of the floating temple's guests. Reciprocating to his signal, the symbol ingrained on C.C. forehead also flashed a brilliant red.

What happened next Kallen could not faithfully describe in words. The yellow backdrop of the world suddenly shattered into a million pieces revealing mechanical gears spinning in place, the twin spiral of mutilated faces continued to twist higher and higher into what looked like the planet of Jupiter.

"Lelouch, why did you want to control the world?" Breaking the silence of stupor and averseness, Suzaku was the first to speak.

"Don't ask silly questions. It was all for Nunnally's sake."

"Are you using Nunnally as an excuse?" To that reply, Lelouch grunted.

"You're right. I've fought to protect everything I want to protect."

"To achieve that goal, one must accomplish something."

"The method one chooses will also lead to the denial of other things." The pair of teens bounced concepts off each other as if their principles had always been entrenched.

"Which means…"

"That's right… -that's why I'll reject it! I'll reject you and your ideas!" Decisively, Lelouch stood up to his father, his valorous stance announcing his resolute decision to refuse the world the Emperor wished to implant upon humanity.

Standing in complete awe of her leader, Kallen watched and listened intently as Lelouch and the Emperor clashed their ideals for the future against each other. His perspicuous interpretation of the world Britannia's leader desired for and his meticulously accurate counters to such a flawed notion only strengthened his own standing on a world that could be allowed to move forward.

In her mind, Kallen had never once doubted the world of tomorrow that Lelouch chased after. She never once questioned if it was truly a better place for mankind. So when the moment came that Lelouch finally announced his worldview modelled after Nunnally's hope of seeking a kinder world where even strangers could be gentle, Kallen felt the grand payoff of her loyal admiration and vindication of her qualms towards the only man she ever loved.

_Naoto wouldn't want this! Naoto wouldn't want this! He died for something, his death has a meaning to it!_ Nevertheless, Kallen felt a feeble weakness of her human sentiments and forced herself to painfully steered away from the temptation of reunion.

She knew, deep in her heart she could never accept a world filled with stagnation. If all beings became one her purpose on this earth would be forever lost, her righteous fight for the freedom of Japan and her hands stained red by blood would turn into meaningless emblems of folly and violence. And if that was the case, her life might as well be forfeit.

"Even if that's true, so what? The Ragnarök Connection has already begun!" The Emperor taunted the exiled prince, his confidence in victory only matched by his delusion of a superior tomorrow.

"Is that so? Is that how you see it?" Lelouch replied, hiding a smirk beneath his hand as he moved to remove his contracts. "I am Zero! The man who creates miracles!"

"Your Geass won't work on me, nor on anyone else here!"

"No, there's someone else, isn't there?" When the realization of Lelouch's intention hit the Emperor, he displayed the first emotion of disbelief Kallen had yet to witness. "That's right! C's World is the consciousness of mankind! And all men are not created equal! Those were your words, and you know my power works because of the inequality!"

"Foolish act, Lelouch! The power of the king cannot defeat God!"

"I don't intend to defeat God! This is a wish! Only now, I finally know who I really am!" His head yawned up and his figure inspiring, Lelouch projected his wish onto God.

"-God, the collective unconscious!" And C's world replied, the planet of Jupiter pulsed. "Please, don't stop the march of time!"

"Lelouch, you ungrateful child!" The person Kallen perceived to be Lelouch's mother first reacted. But her dash was stopped by Suzaku's guard.

"Nobody wanted this! Not even Euphie!"

"I saved you so that you could talk to Euphie again!"

"That's the same as forcing me to!" Suzaku protested the future Lelouch's parents wanted to coerce onto the world, seeing him agree with the man under the mask of Zero was a strange sight to behold.

"You cannot achieve it! Not on God, not on humanity itself!" The Emperor proclaimed the impossibility of Lelouch's impulse, whether his statement held any ground was another subject.

"Even so, what I want is a future!"

His one wish to engrave upon the world was received by God. And to that end, the Collective Unconscious accepted the Geass.

Only seconds later, the spiral sword splintered into thousands of the faces from which it was made, along with the gears pausing the flow of time.

— —

Stepping out of the astonishing palace of C's World, Kallen never perceived the smell of the crisp midnight air to be so refreshing.

"…" In awkward silence they all stood, each one eyeing the others to see who would break the ice.

The squad of three individuals and an immortal took in their surroundings back on Kamine Island, their temporary alliance formed to stop a greater evil was on the brink of dispersion after remembering their grudge against one another.

"-Isn't that… hold on." It was Kallen who decided to dissolve the vow of quietness after she caught a glimpse of a moving shadow hastily in retreat further ahead, prompting her to give chase.

"Kallen, wait!" Suzaku rushed after her as well once he noticed what she saw. Only Lelouch and C.C. seemed completely disinterested in their little commotion.

A few minutes later, the pair returned with the Knight of Six in tow. The petite young girl donned a frightened look as much as she tried to hide her distress, not daring to speak unnecessarily or act impulsively.

"Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six, do you know why—" Immediately, Lelouch twisted his view away from aligning with Alstreim's gaze. He sheltered his right eye with his hand and an almost remorseful expression surfaced. "-Kallen, give me a piece of cloth, anything could work."

Understanding his objective, Kallen frantically searched herself for whatever resembled extra fabric Lelouch could use only to find nothing convenient in particular on her carrying except for the one thing she could offer.

"Hmm… here." Kallen stripped her valued headband and passed it to Lelouch, who in return gave her a mildly confusing glance.

"You have nothing else I can borrow?"

"Look what I'm wearing! Where do I have room for pockets?" Nodding in acceptance, Lelouch gracefully took her gift of favour and wrapped it around his own forehead covering his right eye from exposure.

Kallen felt an uncalled-for blush painting her cheeks red as she studied Lelouch's minor alteration in appearance. The contrast between his formal gown befitting a royalty of his title and the strangely rebel-like headband tying around his face created a very unique image difficult to define in words, not to mention that he wasn't bothered at all about equipping her renowned clothing that was always in close contact with her body.

_I wonder if it smells like me… maybe he likes it…?_

"Anya Alstreim, do you know what's been happening to you for nearly a decade and why your memories always seem to disappear?" Ignoring Kallen's gleeful fluster, Lelouch continued his previous train of thought.

"I… don't know …it just happens."

"It's because two souls used to occupy your body, you were sharing it with the former Empress of Britannia, Marianne the Flash. Ironic that you would be granted the rank Knight of Six, which used to be her position in the Rounds." If the stoic teen had a strong opinion on the divulgence, she didn't show the appropriate emotions for it.

"…How do you know this, Lelouch?"

"How I know is not of your concern. What you should consider is what your next step is to take."

"-And what next step do you plan on taking, Lelouch?" Interjecting into the thoughtful moment, Suzaku saw it fitting to no longer dwell on the past.

"My plan might or might not include you, Suzaku. It will be your decision that seals the future."

"You're the one who killed Euphie." Suzaku stated with his sword raised, escalating the already tense atmosphere.

"And you killed Nunnally." Lelouch replied undisturbed.

"It wasn't my intention!"

"If only our intentions dictated our actions." Seconds passed and not a conclusion was reached, the yearning for vengeance dug deep in the heart of both men yet it was not the right time to further bloodshed.

"Please, can we not do this right now? Can't we just say what we want to do and not keep beating around the bush?!" Having had enough, Kallen rudely broke apart another staring contest for the countless times that day.

"Be that way, I'm growing tired of all the lies as well." Lelouch announced first, his posture no longer so stiff and alarmed. "I will become the next emperor of Britannia, there is something I must do and can only do from that position."

The reactions from those around the ambitious ex-leader of the anti-Britannia military group were polarizing if nothing else. C.C. and Suzaku found his declaration to be nothing so outrageous worth more than a nod of acknowledgement. But Kallen and Alstreim were almost completely flabbergasted at the mere idea of Lelouch wanting to usurp the throne, albeit for different reasons.

"And what do you want to do once you've become the emperor?" Suzaku asked without an ominous tone.

"I want to create a kinder tomorrow."

"For Nunnally?"

"For the world." Lelouch openly stated, his precious aspiration matched by what Kallen saw as a genuine sigh from Suzaku.

"Then I guess I can give you a hand, I won't let the past endanger the future."

"Thank you, Suzaku." Both of them nodded in admission, following it Lelouch turned his attention to the unworldly green-haired immortal. "What about you, C.C.?"

"As if you have to ask, I don't see our contact fulfilled anywhere." Again, Lelouch offered his thanks and proceeded.

Kallen keenly waited for her turn to confess her desire that she had set out to accomplish, if following Lelouch into the fold of Britannia's society was what it took to remain by his side then there would be no hesitation in her steps as she shredded her identity. She just needed the occasion to put her thoughts into action, if Lelouch would just ask her for her dream of the future.

"And Anya Alstreim, you can come with us too if you want." Except he didn't bother.

"Who are you, Lelouch?"

"Had the times been different, you would've known me as Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh Prince of the empire."

"That picture I showed you… that was you, at Aries Villa."

"Indeed it was, and you were there for the school of etiquette. Where my mother possessed your body and destroyed your sense of self."

"…Where is the Emperor now? And where is the soul of Empress Marianne?"

"Scattered to the wind of fate, by me."

"You killed the Emperor… you're a regicide, and a patricide."

"Both of which are the traditions of the Britannia bloodline, for centuries before Emperor Charles came into power assassinations and betrayals were common day occurrence, that's why he had an insidious scheme of merging the world into one consciousness. However it was I who foiled him and I who saved humanity, therefore I deserve the throne of power."

"I don't believe you." The news and revelations that should've shaken Alstreim to the core only mildly unsettled the girl instead.

"After everything you've seen? It would be an act of ignorance."

"…Still, I'm loyal to Emperor Charles and cannot allow you to topple his regime." The short knight specified, with a bit more energy in her voice than normal.

"I have my ways of convincing you. But if you won't listen to me, perhaps your fellow knight can do so." With that, Lelouch stepped aside and let Suzaku take his place.

"Anya, it was Emperor Charles and Empress Marianne who stole your mind and memories from you. They just used you as a tool for the Empress's spirit to exist and never considered you as a person, erasing your memories wherever they saw fit. You owe them nothing for what they've done to you."

"But… I swore an oath to become a Knight of Rounds. I can't—"

"-That dream itself was nothing but a lie implanted in you by the Emperor, however what wrongs he's done can be undone. If you choose me, I can gift you your will and memories." Suzaku flicked around to gauge if Lelouch was sincerely telling the truth of being capable of undoing Geass, but his eyes told no lies that his heart would allow.

"I've… never done something like this. Am I allowed to betray my…"

"No! It is not a betrayal which your mind yearns to commit. It is a deed of self-interest that you sought to achieve and your confusion is sown by your missing sense of self. All men are granted the right to strive for themselves against the world's inequality, there is no shame in wanting to see yourself flourish against evil and injustice."

It was Lelouch's grandiose attitude and his flamboyant way with words that so easily let him capture the hearts of his followers, to be so vibrant in his speeches yet so meticulous in his sentences was a talent almost none could compete. For it was Zero's greatest weapon and the most vital tool of his success.

"Ask yourself this, Anya Alstreim. Do you not have the right to live your life to its fullest and experience all the joy and sorrow this earth could provide? Are you not just as capable as anyone else to struggle endlessly against the torrent of fate? If you believe yourself to be a person with her pride and individuality still intact after a decade of torment, then accept me; and accept your new duty as Britannia's knight."

Lelouch had demonstrated yet again how easily conviction could be earned.

"Yes… Your Highness. The Knight of Six… will abide your orders."

Knowing Lelouch for who he was and his style of character, it wasn't that strange at all to see the indecisive young girl fall to one knee and offer her allegiance to the former enemy of the Britannia Empire. After all, it was one of his most prized skills to gather friends from a sea of foes.

"Excellent, Dame Alstreim. You may rise." Lelouch placed one hand on the shoulder of his new ally and was greeted by a slight smile no one ever imagined Alstreim could express.

"Now, Anya, I need you to prepare for our departure. We've been here for too long as is. -C.C., you should find the Shinkirō just outside the forest behind these ruins, get it ready and I'll meet you there."

"Understood, Your Highness."

"Alright." The two women didn't contest Lelouch's simple instructions.

"And Suzaku, how did you get on this island?"

"A helo shuttle."

"Unfortunately, that thing is too thin and doesn't have the fuel capacity to reach our destination. I'll have to ask you to squeeze in the Mordred with Anya."

"I'll live. Then I'll see you in a bit, Lelouch."

"In a bit, Suzaku." And so the Knight of Seven ran off after pilot of the Mordred.

"Now, it's just the two of us, Kallen."

Finally, just as her patience was at an end, Lelouch arranged the stage for the two of them to have their predestined interaction. She almost feared that he had just forgotten about her existence, or even worse, had chosen to ignore her as punishment for her treachery.

"I've followed you all the way from when we first met at Shinjuku until you saved me in Tokyo, I've been your most loyal- or I want to believe I was the most loyal out of all the Black Knights to you. I know I've made mistakes and I seek to atone, but before that please tell me, Lelouch. What am I to you?"

To finally lift up and cast aside the weight that bogged down her identity for so long, Kallen could feel the anticipation for the unknown threatening to tear out her beating heart. If Lelouch were to reject her where she stood; if she were told no to her earnest dream for intimacy with the one who she loved. Kallen would honestly lose sight of what to do with the remainder of her life.

"What is it that you want to be?" To be faced with a question for her question, Kallen couldn't find the words on her tongue.

"I…! I want to… I want to be with you—"

"-You should go back to the Black Knights. I don't think they'll like it if they find out you've been here with me." Whether it was a dismissal or a distraction Lelouch said, either way, it had hurt Kallen.

"Why…!? Why must you be like this!? Why am I the only one not allowed to have what I want!?" Kallen filled her throat with her compounded emotions of love and grief only to shout at Lelouch for trying to befuddle her with an unfounded request. "I… I just… I want to join you too! You know I'm capable, you know I'm loyal. So why are you refusing me?"

"Kallen… you're rather impossible, aren't you?" When challenged by such a pure and honest sentiment for connection, Kallen wanted to believe that even Lelouch couldn't find the strength to don yet another mask of impassivity and play himself up in the role of another villain.

"Please! Please don't leave me!"

"…I can't fulfill it, Kallen! I'm not the one who can fulfill your dream." Lelouch stepped back slightly, his aura of poise crumbled a bit under the burden of reality. "The Black Knights rejected Zero, they wanted nothing to do with me anymore. So I can't wear that mask for you, I can't wear that mask to free Japan."

"It's not fair… you created us. If it wasn't for you none of us would be here today…"

"And my part in your story is done, you'll have to move on to the next chapter. If your goal is freedom for the Japanese people in the truest sense of the word, then we cannot be together, Kallen." Again, Kallen found herself at a crossroads in life, however, this dilemma seemed awfully similar to the one she had confronted earlier.

She stepped back heedfully, her dice already rolled and her decision already made.

"For sixteen years of my life, I was dead. I've committed acts of terror in a false hope of liberating people from a truth I wasn't ready to face, deluded by a fake sense of justice I killed innocents undeserving of such fate. I was a walking corpse, defiant to my destiny yet powerless to stop it. But that all changed the day I met you."

Lelouch stood silently, listening observantly. The tears rolling down Kallen's cheeks couldn't discourage her from revealing her painful and joyous truth.

"You changed me, you changed my world and with it, I was truly alive. You offered me a new future and a new purpose in my life, you made me feel valuable and needed for being who I am. You've become a pillar of my being, without you I cannot move forward… so please, don't abandon me." The content of her inner self laid bare for Lelouch to witness; his expression told her at least some of that confession wasn't disregarded.

"Kallen… together with me, there is no future."

"Then we'll create one together. Are you not Zero, the man who creates miracles? And I know you're capable of creating even better things than a miracle." It must have been a weird impression on Lelouch for his words to be thrown back at him like that.

"Kallen… to be with me, you cannot be Japanese anymore."

"Japan isn't my name, it isn't my appearance, it isn't my bloodline or my residence. I'll always treasure the Japan inside my heart, even if I must fight those that represent it."

"Kallen… if you choose this path, your dream will never be fulfilled."

"An ambition inherited from someone else cannot be called a dream. I've done my fair share for my brother's dream and I will no longer lodge in his shadow. What I truly wish for is to be with you… my leader, my liege, my king."

In devoted tranquility they stood, beautiful purple irises locked on to blue orbs blazing with feverish passion. At that moment the winding course of history was being set on a new route, where that road would lead to neither of the teens could possibly guess.

"Kallen… say my name, my title." As Lelouch requested, he reached up and took off the headband covering his right eye, studying the modest fabric that represented so much more to his ace.

"Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince. Eldest son to Empress Marianne."

"Who are you."

"Kallen Stadtfeld, born to the noble family of Stadtfeld and a Japanese commoner."

"What do you seek."

"To prove my loyalty to the man behind the mask of Zero."

"Do you pursue the rank of Knight of Britannia."

"If that is what is required for offering my loyalty, I shall carry out any duty."

"Kneel." Kallen quickly obeyed, planting her left leg behind and lowering herself before a steadfast Lelouch.

"Kallen Stadtfeld. Wilt thou, upon this day, pledge thy fealty to my rule, and stand as a Knight to my crown?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Does thou wish to abandon thyself, thy past identity, and be sword and shield for the sake of a kinder world?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

With his middle and index fingers, Lelouch crudely formed the shape of a sword and gently tagged both of Kallen's shoulders. While normally the notion of becoming a Britannian knight would only bring about absolute revolt and disgust in Kallen's head, she wasn't at all concerned by how fast her mind could be changed.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, do hereby dub thee Dame Kallen Stadtfeld, may your courage and devotion become a shining example to the people of the Empire." Concluding the ritual of offering a Britannia knighthood, Lelouch lent a hand for Kallen to stand up. He then carefully reached up to wrap the headband he borrowed back on her forehead only to be stopped.

"Here lies Kōzuki Kallen, she fought against all foes with equal bravery and sacrificed her life to create a tomorrow for mankind." Mildly taken aback by her dedicated inauguration to her new title, Lelouch showed an uncertain smile and went ahead to tie her headband around her right wrist.

"Now you belong to me, Kallen. In body and soul."

"I won't have it any other way."

And thus it concluded, a ceremony for two.

— —

**Author's note**

Wow, what a totally original idea for a Code Geass fic that nobody ever thought of before? It's crazy, my oc pls no steal.

But for real, I've wanted a story where Kallen doesn't screw Lelouch in Ep19 of R2 and become basically an antagonist for the rest of the story, that or she's just irrelevant like the middle half of R2. Feels so rewarding to see the protagonist who we've been following for two seasons get shafted for pretty much no reason and that leads to the finale where he gets shafted some more for world peace. (This paragraph is in fact a joke, pls no flame either)

But now not as joke, Code Geass is a great franchise, 10/10. And I think why I wrote this story is because recently re-watching it on Netflix since like seven years ago gave me them dank CG feels again.

As for what the story is, it's just Kallen going with Lelouch on his trip to Britannia to be the emperor and how things will differ from there, most like still gonna have the big sky nuke fortress in the finale.(implying I'll finish it). Also probably will have some side characters from the spinoffs, the movie OVAs (the one about Europe) and Oz of the Reflection (that's a bit of a maybe since the manga isn't translated or I'm just too dumb to find it).

For pairings, mainly Lelouch/Kallen, maybe /C.C.? if I think writing a three-way harem is a better direction for the story and I don't goof it too badly. If you feel strongly about this let me know, harem is pretty sick but harder to write? Question mark?

Last thing, what you can expect from this fic is overdramatic and endless dialogue with mostly no focus on action. Some really dumb grammar or spelling mistakes Google doc can't catch and I'm too blind to see. Finally, nonexistent update schedule (if this fic doesn't die… right now). Also bad chapter length, that could happen too.

Also shout out to Sunrise for owning Code Geass, or whoever actually owns it I'm not sure.


	2. I'm nuclear, I'm wild

**I'm nuclear, I'm wild**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Britannian Knight**

**Over the Pacific Ocean**

**R2 ep21 parallel, one month after Ragnarok**

Kallen turned her bored gaze out of the window, taking in the endless azure ocean sparkling under the dazzling sunlight, sometimes a flock of birds or fish leaping out of the water would flash past her view and become only a memory. Unquestionably many would find such a sight to be exceedingly stunning and sublime, but for Kallen, she had been in the same setting a dozen too many times.

Her own reflection in the window was that of her combed Britannian hairstyle without the tacked-on meek personality. As she studied the headband firmly bound to her wrist, Kallen reminisced about her intense aversion for always playing the part of a politely sick student in school. Back when she was naïve and blind, she imagined her fiery spiky hair was a symbol of her rebellion towards the system, so it was only fitting to discard her old persona now that she was an essential part of the same system she contested.

"—Pilot, ETA to destination?" Kallen dialled the phone by her armrest and called her aerial chauffeur.

"—Roughly two hours and ten minutes, My Lord." With a weary sigh, Kallen dived into the pocket of her civilian clothing and fetched for her phone while thinking about listening to her playlist for the fourth time.

"Kallen, is it really that boring?"

"Not for the first five trips, but if you fly around the world forty times, you'll be sick of it too."

"You've flown that much distance in your life?"

"It was a metaphor, you buffoon, unless…" Kallen retracted her statement and did some rapid-fire math in her head only to grow bored of it not a minute later.

"Still, it's super cool that you can fly a Knightmare. I wish I could go out into battle like that, it's pretty awesome."

"Look, I appreciate your admiration but here's the thing. Warfare isn't a game, okay? I probably have a kill-count up in the… triple digits by now, and I'm not proud of every one of them. I'm dirtying my hands so that people like you can have a better future, don't confuse your respect for soldiers and the weight of their deeds." Kallen harshly reprimanded her passenger, she wouldn't allow someone to speak so lightly about her line of duty.

"-But before this you were with the Black Knights, going around killing Britannians… to suddenly turn face and join us like this…"

"…Einstein, you wanna pick a fight?" It wasn't the facts which Nina stated that got on Kallen's nerves, it was the way she said it so timidly like it wasn't tangibly correct.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" Nina tremblingly cowered into her backrest, her frightful reaction to Kallen's provocation made the Knightmare Devicer recoil lightly out of shame.

"C'mon, Kallen. No need to be so aggressive." Rivalz charmed in too, relocating himself to comfort Nina's fear.

"Sorry, look I— listen, it's… a lot of things have changed, okay? I realized— I mean it's not that I'll become a jingoistic patriot now, I just saw some mistakes I've made and want to correct them… sorta." Fumbling over words she couldn't stream into sentences, Kallen grasped how absurd her situation must have appeared to anyone not down with the details.

The former ace cherished by the Order of the Black Knights was now a formal knight in service to the Britannian Empire, and her ranking was only going to climb higher from there.

"I-I don't want to sound spiteful… but how can you just ask others to accept who you are? For however long, you were an enemy to Britannia and killed so many of our people, now you just want us to forget all that's happened and welcome you with open arms? I don't know whose knight you are, I just hope you know it won't be easy integrating yourself into our society."

As the young scientist attested, there was no trace of malice in her words and warnings, so Kallen attentively took to heart Nina's advice of repercussion and pondered her distinctive state of being. Until finally she was ready to provide a side of the story that mended her self-conflict.

"When you say us, who is this 'us'? In fact, what is Britannian? Race? Culture? Place of inhabitation? I can't tell which one of those you identify yourself with. As for me, my Britannian self wants to finish what my Japanese self couldn't. So I don't expect anyone to forgive me for what I've done since what I want to do will change what Britannia is."

"…Just- just what're you planning? Is- all of this… is this whole thing a scheme by Zero?! Did you lie to us when you said that you've defected from the Black Knights and is taking us to safety?!" More antagonistic in her overreacting dread than before, Nina's eyes darted around in a frenzy searching for whatever she believed would protect her. "Oh no- Rivalz, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you tag along…"

"What? What're you even talking about? That's not what I'm after at all! I'm under orders from my liege to bring you to Pendragon because there's something he'll need you to do. Jeez, girl, just like- calm down, alright? I'm your friend…? kinda? I know you don't like me too much, but I'm not gonna harm you, I swear."

"Yeah, Nina. Kallen might not always be who she says she is, but she's always cared about the Student Council members." Rivalz added his word to the new knight's reassurance, crediting him with a few more good friend points in Kallen's head.

"I-I understand… apologies, I sometimes still panic too fast. And I don't dislike you, Kallen, you're doing what you think is best for your people and that's… commendable. So, can you please tell me why you left the Black Knights? Why did you give up everything you fought so hard for?"

To answer Nina's honest question, Kallen forced herself to dive back into her distinctive past which had been beckoning her endlessly since a month ago when the half-breed warrior shed her previous mask. Assenting those echoes of a forsaken life to surface to the forefront of her soul wasn't a preferable way of affirming her new allegiance, however the genius researcher who came such a long way from the bigoted girl deserved at least a partial truth.

"The Black Knights… they betrayed Zero, they killed him. And I couldn't do anything to stop them, I was powerless… and weak, even though I knew Zero never did the things they accused him of I couldn't see through his lies to protect him. It's why I left them and aligned myself with whatever is left of Zero's ideals."

"He was killed by the Black Knights…? Zero was…?"

"No wait, not literally, don't believe the Black Knights' lies. They killed his mask, but not the man." Kallen hurriedly rectified, not wishing for Nina to receive a wrong impression.

"So you know who he is under the mask. Will you tell me?"

"I cannot. I've said too much as is." To her surprise, Nina didn't push for Kallen to reveal more information about the person who slain her idol.

"Then why did you join the Britannia military and become a knight? It's such a drastic change."

"Sometimes you just have to pick a path, and I'd like to think I chose wisely. You'll meet the new lord I serve soon, and he's… he sure is a character, I'll tell you."

"But he's Britannian, right? And you're willingly working under him?"

"I am."

"…I just- I can't understand it. how do you work with people who used to be your hated enemies? I just can't see myself doing something like that." The nth question Nina posted to Kallen on that flight was another difficult one for her psyche, but it at least came with a transparent response.

"I found something more important to me than mulling over past anger. And I'll admit I was wrong when I thought all Britannians are the same, that was immature of me. People are people, good and evil are sometimes purely subjective."

"But what about someone that… you know you hate and cannot forgive?" With a little bit of perceptive analysis, Kallen could guess who the prodigy girl was referring to.

"Then you don't have to forgive them. But maybe you shouldn't let yourself be ensnared by that hatred forever."

"…I think you're right. Everything… it's just very tiring to me. After all that I've done, I don't have the right to bear grudges against anyone anymore." Not knowing a proper consolation to offer, Kallen sat soundlessly as she studied the way Rivalz patted their friend on the shoulder and comforted the damaged youth.

"What about you, Rivalz? You have something you wanna say?" Diverting the topic, Kallen sought to do all her explanation at once.

"Not really, I'm happy that you're fighting on our side now, I guess. But honestly, the complicated stuff just went straight over my head, really ain't made for this." Rivalz's short comment dug a peal of hard-earned laughter out of Kallen, a noise she hadn't heard in quite a while.

"You're just… such a guy, Rivalz. Lelouch would be so glad to have you with him."

"What is this about Lelouch?"

"Oops… well, it should be about time anyway, I'll show you." Kallen said, not long before she turned on the television built into the cabin of her private jet.

"—One month has passed since the destruction caused by the F.L.E.I.J.A warhead. Today, there will be an important announcement from His Majesty Emperor Charles, we will be bringing you a live international broadcast from Pendragon Imperial Palace." On the screen, the reporter who they all recognized as Milly was reading the cover page news to the camera.

Kallen noted dispassionately in the conversation discussing their ex-president's new career, knowing the real bombshell was yet to come.

"—Presenting, His Imperial Majesty!" There, that was the start of a good show.

"I bet you two are gonna love this…" Kallen whispered with a smirk attached. If anything, she was the one most exhilarated for the grand reveal.

As the crowd at the palace and countless people in front of their televisions watched simultaneously, what they saw wasn't the familiar shape of the old Emperor disinterested in the world, but a young man dressed in the Ashford Academy uniform with a mysterious smile plastered over his mouth.

"No… no way! That can't be!"

"…I don't believe it… How…?" Listening to her friends, Kallen was certain their bewilderment was shared by millions around the globe.

Once the student took a seat on the throne rightfully belonging to him, he spoke with alluring elegance and assertiveness in every syllable.

"—I am the ninety-ninth Britannian Emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia." The chatter from the masses only rose in volume.

Afterwards, there were shouts and questions all directed at Lelouch from every angle. The new king replied to some of them, but his attention seemed to have shifted once the man Kallen identified as Odysseus, the Crown Prince stepped away from the masses. The first son of the last sovereign walked closer to the podium to distinguish himself from the rest, his purpose being to post a crucial inquiry of what happened to the previous Emperor.

"—The ninety-eighth Emperor, Charles zi Britannia was killed by me." Another unthinkable divulgence was so casually spoken. "—Which makes me the next emperor!"

The thundering commotion escalated to heights never before seen in the Imperial Palace, many on-site couldn't believe their very own eyes and ears. Eventually, a fanatical yell for security was quickly followed by four Imperial Guards rushing Lelouch's position. However, the task they sought to achieve would never be carried out.

"Holy crap, that's…!"

"Is this really… happening?"

"Suzaku… did you seriously spin kick twenty metres down for your debut?" Astounded by the excitement of seeing a plan come to fruition, even Kallen couldn't help herself from voicing a little bit of glee to the Suzaku across her screen, not that she would ever say such words of praise to him in person. "Nice one."

"—Allow me to introduce, one of my finest knights, Kururugi Suzaku. He is the Round that overcame all Rounds, thus I grant him the title, Knight of Zero."

That was the news which Kallen found to be most unsettling. Regardless of their past feud and opposition, she believed herself to be most deserving the title of Knight of Zero. Even though Lelouch had painstakingly reminded Kallen why she couldn't stand in the public spotlight, understanding that her lack of recognition was on such a muddy basis only slightly mended the hit to her pride.

"—This simply won't do, Lelouch, Sir Kururugi. How could you pull such a bad joke on an international broadcast?"

Knowing the inevitable, Kallen was actually paying her full attention to every word muttered by the persons at Pendragon. It was the most disagreeable part of his succession even if also the most necessary. From where she was, hundreds of kilometres out at sea, she could only pray for Lelouch to at least heed a bit of her suggestion.

"—Well then, why don't I make this easier for you all to understand? My brothers and sisters, my many relatives and families all furtively fraying for vast power. It is I who have earned the right to rule through means you'll never bother to understand, therefore, I shall only ask you all to acknowledge my claim to the throne!" It wasn't the kindest method, but Kallen judged his demand as being generous enough.

"—Yes, Your Majesty!" The crowd praised Lelouch's name, their minds altered to the absolute power of Geass. "—All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!"

The chanting continued and grew in intensity just like Kallen's eagerness for a reunion as she entered the airspace of Britannia's capital, Pendragon.

**Three days earlier**

**Japan**

"—It's me, Q-1. The line is untapped."

"—Report."

"—I've secured the VIP plus one. We're on our way to meet with the OSI contact, should be out of the country in two days."

"—Who's the plus one?"

"—I decided to pick up Rivalz too, I thought he'd want to see you, and it'll be lonely by himself at Ashford."

"—…Q-1, you're compromising the mission. Your order is to extract Nina Einstein and escort her safely back to the homeland, don't going around adding unnecessary objectives to your task."

"—I'm sorry… I just thought it would be nice for you to see a friend. At this rate, Japan will only become more and more unsafe for Britannians."

"—It's alright, did you meet with anyone else? Did anyone recognize you?"

"—I talked a little with Milly, but she promised to keep everything a secret!"

"—I see, very well then. I know this kind of job isn't your favourite. If there's anyone else more suited for the work, I wouldn't have asked."

"—Thank you. As long as I can be with you, I'll do anything."

"—Q-1… I'm glad to have you by my side."

"—Likewise, Your Highness."

"—…Moving on, any other updates?"

"—Oh, well my dad called a few days ago. He said he wanted to visit me in Japan but I told him I don't live here anymore, so I'm thinking once I've settled down in Pendragon, I can invite him over instead…?"

"—I meant in regards to the mission."

"—Ooh… errr, then no. Everything is proceeding smoothly, other than what I just reported."

"—Wonderful, I'll see you in a few days then, maybe you'll be here in time for my accession."

"—I'm looking forward to it."

"—Q-1, your father is a Noble, right?"

"—Wha-? Oh- yeah, he's a… an Earl of somewhere on the East Coast, or something."

"—Are you not worried about your father for what I'll do to the aristocrats after I come in power?"

"—I… I think you'll do the right thing, Your Highness."

"—Am I known to do that?"

"—…Then can I just ask one thing of you, Your Highness?"

"—I'll hear it."

"—I just want you to be more… considerate of the people, you know? I don't think just because someone is of nobility means they're guaranteed to be bad guys, and the opposite is also true. I just think that… you know, if I never grew out of my prejudice for Britannians, I wouldn't be here. And a lot of these people are born into their way of thinking, so it's like… if you suddenly punish people for what they've been conditioned to do their whole life, you won't make a very popular emperor."

"—…That was awfully preachy of you, Q-1."

"—Y-yeah, I guess so. S-sorry, it was probably childish of me to tell you all that stuff. Just forg—"

"— -No, I'll take your suggestion into consideration. Inequality is not an inherent evil, it is men's right to scuffle and compete for progress, only those who fall victim to their sinful selves deserve punishment."

"—Right… what I said."

"—I'm grateful for your insight, Q-1. These are topics my knight or my witch would never bring up."

"—Well, happy to help! That's it from me, really."

"—I'll see you soon, Q-1. Goodbye."

"—Yes, Your Highness. Goodbye."

**Nina Einstein, scientist**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon**

**One day after Lelouch's accession**

Elaborate ornaments and priceless artifacts decorated every inch of the Imperial Palace, surrounding her were engravings of art and paintings of history the Britannia Empire held in its prideful possession over the millenniums since its foundation. Even a guest room like the one she resided in was not spared from the consistent reminder of her nation's great might.

But Nina cared very little for such antiquities nor for the beauty of the artwork, she was fretting over subjects of much eminent proportion than that.

Five days ago, she and Rivalz were discovered at their school and captured, or at least coerced into returning to Pendragon by their former classmate and vigilante soldier turned official Britannia knight, Kallen Stadtfeld. Only to witness the usurpation of the throne by their other classmate, Lelouch Lamperouge, real last name vi Britannia, instead. And that was just two days shy of a month since that day the WMD she developed wiped out the Tokyo settlement killing over thirty-five million people.

Nina was modestly positive in believing that it had been the craziest month of her life, so far.

"-Lady Einstein, Emperor Lelouch will see you now. Are you ready?"

"Ye-yes! I'll be right out." With one last check in the mirrors, Nina felt slightly unnerved by her own extravagant clothing and dazzling jewellery but complained nothing else.

"Nina, I'm glad to see you in good health." She knew she should've expected to be greeted by him, yet the shock still lingered on a dozen seconds longer.

"…Suzaku."

The Knight of Zero standing in front of her appeared no different from how he was a month ago, although the ridiculously long outfit paired with an equally oversized cloak dyed in black, blue and red with gold trims did take her attention off his familiarity.

"Follow me, I'll take you to Lelouch."

"…Okay."

On the way, neither of them engaged in ordinary chatter. Whether it was from Nina's bashfulness or Suzaku's detachment, or purely because there was not much to discuss.

"We're here." Suzaku gestured for her to pass through a set of double doors, presumably leading into Lelouch's office.

"Suzaku… why are you here?" She didn't want to see him leave without at least one question.

"I'm told to bring you to the Emperor."

"You know what I mean!" Her desperation was enough to motivate Suzaku to meet her stare, for a bit his piercing gaze struck through her indigo irises and induced Nina to think it wasn't such a good idea.

"We made a promise, Lelouch and I, to create a new world. Not just a world for us, but a world that Nunnally and Euphie would've wanted as well." And the Japanese man left, without giving Nina the time to review his aspiration.

Nothing else was stopping her from facing the Emperor other than her own grit, Nina ultimately concluded that standing by her lonesome wouldn't give her the certitude she needed.

"Enter." The reply to her knock was heard, and Nina stepped forward.

"Y-Your Majesty…" Nina took a short bow to Lelouch who was sitting behind his desk, but the former prince only waved off her polite gesture.

"Nina, how's Milly?" The pitch of his concern wasn't that of the emperor, but of Lelouch Lamperouge.

"She's… she's pretty good. She's working as a reporter for KT-TV, right now they're based out of Ashford Academy."

"I'm happy to hear, did you and Rivalz say goodbye to her before you left?"

"Yeah, Miss Ko- Miss Stadtfeld gave us some time before we left school." Understanding her update, Lelouch went quiet for a short period.

"Do you remember Kallen? Back during the days when she was on the Student Council, I mean."

"Yes… if only we can go back to those days, back before everything that happened." Lelouch curiously listened, only to nod once after her story was over. He soon rose from his spot behind the office desk and offered her to sit on the sofa, himself taking a seat opposite to her.

"I'm sure you're filled with burning curiosity about me, I've been rather peculiar, after all. If you want to ask anything, go ahead."

"I actually have just one thing on my mind."

"And?"

"Lelouch… you're Zero, aren't you?" Shortly after his initial reaction of stupefied bewilderment, Lelouch collected himself and adopted a tiny grin.

"What led you to that deduction?"

"It only makes sense, seeing how often you and Kallen missed classes and how you're always gone when Zero was at large. But most importantly, Kallen wouldn't have switched sides so easily if it wasn't for you."

The crushing pressure of her daring publicity was weighing down her nerves much more than her past classmate's, Lelouch was definitely amused by her guesswork even if he showed no signs of humour. Nina supposed it only made sense that she would be the only person in danger, the Britannia Emperor as he stood had many solutions to an issue such as this.

"...At least you gave me an explanation, Euphie just said it was a hunch."

"So you really are…!" Without realizing it, Nina's body was trembling at his every breath under her dress and she was powerless to stop it.

"I am Zero! The man who's been granted an unworldly power, the man who's sent the world order into chaos, the man favoured by the will of the universe… and the man who killed his siblings without remorse."

"When you killed… Princess Euphemia… is it really just for the Black Rebellion? Please tell me, just so I can finally be at ease and move on!" Nina wanted to project the hatred and despair she held inside herself all these times into her words as she interrogated Zero, but the strength to accost him wouldn't come to her aid.

"Are you willing to trust Zero, the man who lied, cheated and murdered his way to the world stage?"

"I… I will believe you, you have no reason to lie to me." Nina couldn't back up her assessment with the flimsiest shreds of evidence, however she was just too worn-out to keep playing the game of deception with someone she truly thought of as a kind acquaintance if nothing else.

"I was given the power of absolute obedience. I can make anyone do anything I desired with a vocal command when our eyes meet. However, just as no power is limitless, no man is omnipotent. When I met with Euphie, my power went out of control and I used it on her by accident." To Lelouch's tale of tragedy, Nina only nodded in affirmation.

"An accident… I see…"

"You're willing to believe me?"

"I believe that Princess Euphemia would've never done something like that of her own volition. I'll take your word for it, even if it's just so that I can keep the pure memories of her in my heart." Nina couldn't be positive if Lelouch sought after exoneration from a mere peasant like herself, however she wanted to think he was relieved to have received it nonetheless.

"You're an exceedingly kind person, Nina." Lelouch's gesture softened, along with his troubled frown.

"Don't be mistaken, Lelouch. I don't think I can ever forgive Zero for what he's done, but… I have to find my own way forward. I can't let myself be dragged down by pity and distress."

"That's valiant of you, perhaps more than anything else I know."

"And I have my own sins to atone, it's not something anyone can help me do." When she turned to Lelouch after commemorating the death of millions at her hand, his expression darkened even further.

"Then I suppose I must renew your hatred of me. Nina… why do you think I brought you to the capital." Her genius instantly knew the reality of her presence as clear as day, but her heart couldn't accept such cruelty.

"Please… no, you can't…"

"Nina, I need you to create F.L.E.I.J.A.s for me."

"No… no…! Y-you can't ask that of me! Why does it have to be like this…! Why am I… the only one!" Tears she thought she had already drained empty was again washing down her pale cheeks, fogs of misery clouded her lens and were leading her astray on a road every soul must walk.

"Because you're the only one who can, and without it, the world will succumb to its terror. You're the only one who can protect us from it." Even when her spirit was devastated by the phenomenon of existence, Nina still heard a crucial detail she hoped could save her.

"What… what do you mean? F.L.E.I.J.A. is the ultimate instrument of destruction, how can it protect anything?"

"It can protect us from itself. It's a weapon too great to ever be used, yet a weapon no one can resist its potential."

"I don't understand, y-you can't detonate a F.L.E.I.J.A. inside another one, they won't cancel out!"

"But I can detonate one on whoever used it against me." Only then, was Nina starting to figure out Lelouch's design.

"The knowledge of your procession of F.L.E.I.J.A. will discourage others from using it…"

"It'll be a deterrence, the only protection we have."

"But to protect us from whom?" Lelouch pressed a few buttons on the remote he withdrew from his dress, a screen rolled down from the ceiling above and its pixels formed its content.

"Just recently, the Toromo Agency situated in Cambodia cut all connections with us. From this action, we're to assume they've turned traitor and sided with Schneizel who was the main benefactor of their research. I'm sure you know this." Nina hastily nodded, sensing the change of tone from Lelouch's own attitude. "And what they've been working on in secret for months, is this."

On the monitor, many pictures appeared, all were of the same technological miracle.

"Sky Fortress… Damocles."

"Correct, it is a floating stronghold capable of launching F.L.E.I.J.A long distance. With enough height, it can destroy every city on this planet, all at Schneizel's whim."

"Absolute dominance over the world…" Nina too could easily comprehend the gravity of such a weapon in action if it was not stopped.

"I don't know how long it'll take for Damocles to become active, that is why I need you to build F.L.E.I.J.A.s for me as soon as possible. Even its Blaze Luminous cannot defend against its impact."

"But… but you have no guarantee that Prince Schneizel is going to use it! If I built you F.L.E.I.J.A.s, how can I know you won't just destroy the research base!"

"Just as I have no guarantee of Schneizel's reluctance to act, I cannot do anything more than promise that I won't land the first strike. Although, I've known my brother for years now, more or less, and I can guess just about what he'll do." Lelouch paused for the young scientist to interject. When she didn't, he resumed. "Schneizel doesn't play games he can't win, and a duel with world destruction at stake is the riskiest game of them all."

"So if both of you hold F.L.E.I.J.A.s, you can force a stalemate."

"Correct, I'm certain he won't use Damocles if there stands a chance of it being destroyed before fulfilling its purpose. As for me, like I said, you'll only have my word."

Nina shifted uncomfortably on the couch, goosebumps spreading like wildfire over her soft skin, her veering eyes unsure of where to look to avoid such an overwhelming hardship. Her favourite pair of circular glasses was collecting droplets of tears as she hung her head low in irresolution. She felt the unfair consequence of her invention and regretfully cursed the world under her breath for its malice.

She just wanted to explore science with the best intentions, but now she had to suffer such anguish for the one innocent misstep she took in the pursuit of knowledge.

"Lelouch, if I say no… will you use that power on me too?"

"Yes." No hesitation in his resolution, as Zero was famous for.

"Must I choose… the lesser evil?"

"I have a question for you, Nina. What do you when there is an evil you cannot defeat by justice? Do you—"

"-Do I dirty my hands with evil so as to destroy evil, or do I uphold my justice even if I must surrender to evil?" For a second, Lelouch seemed almost sulky for having his grandiose speech stolen. "You must be running low on creativity if you have to repeat a previous oration."

"…I didn't think you'd have heard this one."

"I've heard everything Zero said, zealously."

"…Please don't say something like your justice lies with Euphie." To his out of character joke, Nina chuckled lightly.

"No, I won't. Right now, the current me doesn't possess enough justice or evil to stop anything."

"Then Nina… will you?"

"I will build your F.L.E.I.J.A.s, Lelouch. Not that you leave me with much of an option. So please, I'm powerless to force you, but promise that you'll keep your word. Promise that the abhorrence of F.L.E.I.J.A. won't consume humanity, by Prince Schneizel or otherwise." From within the Emperor's violet eyes she stared into for the first time, there was only genuine compassion and kindness for her to spot.

"You have the word of Lelouch vi Britannia. I'll do everything in my power to ensure no person ever sees that dread of pink again." Even if it was a void pledge, Nina could only take what deal was offered. "Someone will soon pick you up and take you to Lloyd's lab, I'll also arrange for you to move to a quarter of your choosing."

Having no topics left to debate or pleasantries left to share, Nina soberly took a bow and headed for the door.

"There is one last thing, actually." However, just before she made her exit, the demurred scientist recalled something else worth a mention.

"What is it?"

"Have you told Suzaku what you told me? About Princess Euphemia?" Lelouch was stopped dead in his tracks by her nervous question.

"I… I… no, not in its entirety, not the real cause of it."

"Is there a reason?"

"It's no longer information he would concern himself with, not anymore."

"Are you sure you're not avoiding confronting him about it?" Instinctively, Lelouch conveyed a bothered and disturbed scowl so painful Nina herself jittered almost immediately as a reaction. "I-I'm sorry! I just-!"

"No, it's alright, I shouldn't have. Nina, do you care about Suzaku?"

"…I believe I do, he's the first Elev- Japanese person that didn't scare me, and he used to always be so cheerful and kind with Princess Euphemia… and nowadays he's just so… miserable. Maybe if he knows the truth of what happened…" For a long span, Lelouch replied nothing and his expression was entirely unreadable.

"If you want to tell him what happened, you're welcome to do so. As for me… perhaps I still lack the courage, I'm still not the person I'm supposed to be."

"But one day…?"

"Maybe, or maybe never will I find that strength." The sadness in Lelouch's tone told her more of his agony than words ever could, but Nina knew enough bleakness had been shared for one day.

"…No man is omnipotent, Your Majesty. But it's only thanks to our incompleteness that we have the drive to strive for betterment, and I believe it is in the same spirit we can move forward towards the future. A tomorrow… of optimism." As she left, Nina presented a more exquisite bow than she was daring to perform.

— —

**Author's note**

Huh, apparently people do like this story, how about that. Everyone, thanks a lot for all of your support, I seriously didn't think it'd do as good as it did. I knew there was some interest in a story like this, but it's pretty impressive how much people wanted to see more. Shoutout to everyone that subbed and wrote a thing, I'll answer some reviews below.

This chapter isn't the most exciting or amazing, not gonna lie. But you really can't get away from worldbuilding or exposition. I hope that Nina's mini-arc is somewhat good and true to her character. I don't think we learn in the show when she knows that Lelouch is Zero, but her reaction in the last couple episodes showed she's mostly gotten over her psycho thing. I don't think she's a super deep character, but I don't hate her so intensely like some people do.

And I'm pretty sure there'll be people unhappy with Suzaku being the Knight of Zero, if you don't already hate him for being in the story at all. But I'm gonna say it, guys, I like Suza- (immediately gets arrested by the Code Geass police and put through a kangaroo court and then executed).

I dunno, I won't hate on him unreasonably, guy's alright. Euphie's pretty cute and it's a whole feelsbadman moment.

What else, in my plans for this story I'll make up one new totally original and badly written Geass power. I wanna do it because I like my ideas, but also don't wanna do it since bad OCs are bad, man. Hopefully this fic will have enough of a following by then for me to decay into a downward spiral.

Just remembered, most of you guys want me to do a harem pairing with Kallen and C.C., some people don't, but I can't please everyone. And I think I will, while C.C. is a well-written character and very engaging and entertaining for the viewing experience. She's probably a pretty terrible girlfriend long term, you two will be having pointless bickering all day because she never gives ground or admits mistakes in an apologetic way that leads to mending the relationship. Also imagine unironically eating pizza everyday, will definitely get old, even if you're not eating it you're probably paying for it.

So I dunno, I like both waifus and their designs, but Kallen is more interactable? And reliable? Anyway, I'm not too sure where I'll be taking the shippings exactly but expect more of Kallen being the main chick and C.C. being the side chick that also matters. Some people say that C.C. kinda betrayed Lelouch with all her secrets and stuff, I don't wanna get into why it is or isn't right, but if canon Lelouch never held a grudge against her, it'll be pretty unfair for me to write him that way.

To reply to some reviews. Now, I appreciate everyone that leaves me a message, regardless of what it says it's cool to know that someone cares enough to actually type out a thing. With that said, I won't reply to every review, kinda impossible. Look how padded out this note is already.

For: Awareness Bringer, talking about the length of time for Anya's possession and Kallen's in the resistance. Anya's being possessed for exactly 8-9 years, it says that on the wiki, I wrote a decade in the dialogue. You got me there, I changed it, credits to you for catching it. As for Kallen, I meant 16 years like 16 years of her life before she met Lelouch, I know she's 17 at the start of season one, but baby time doesn't really count.

For: islamy96, talking about grammar. Lmao I can't tell if you misspelled 'Kallen' as a joke, but the irony is there and it's pretty funny. I'm actually using Grammarly right now, it's pretty meeeeeh. The main thing is I often misspell a word by spelling a word that has similar spelling, so most autocorrect won't catch that, or straight-up miss a word somewhere and not have it caught.

Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter and equally long AN, let me know if there are any mistakes, or if you wanna tell me anything.

A mistake was corrected by GabrielRavier, thanks man.


	3. Wii Sports, Aries Villa Resort

**Wii Sports, Aries Villa Resort**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, ~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon**

**Three days after Lelouch's accession**

"It is done, My Lord! Please accept your newest robe! If I may say so myself it is one of my best work yet!"

"Right, thanks… errm…" Kallen reached down for her wallet only to remind herself that in Pendragon, the rules of economics didn't apply to her, or something along those lines.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd be honoured to take a fitted look at your uniform once you've donned the attire, it has indeed been ages since the last time a Round has placed a custom order of wear!"

Obtaining her new robe from the specialized tailor, Kallen ignored his gleeful excitement of seeing the final product of his finesse stitches be worn by the newly appointed Knight of Ten and hastily retreated to the changing room for her outfit swap. Her ceremonial sword chunkily banging on every table leg or lampstand under the sun.

_Knight of Ten… I'm the Knight of Ten now… _Slowly, stripping out of her civilian clothing,she slipped into the official regalia for a Knight of Rounds, one of the highest ranks of military achievement possible. The fit was flawless, no doubt a testament to the skill of her tailor, and the shading wasn't too shabby also.

The pattern on Kallen's gown and cloak was mostly the standard shape for all Rounds. Her colour scheme was largely mystic red, a hue brighter than her hair and some bits of black garnish around the edges. If the surplus tint was meant as a sign of her left behind past, that was the most amount of reminder she was allowed.

_Lelouch, I know I won't regret this. But you're just seriously… _Kallen humbly reminisced Lelouch's first order to her on her arrival at Pendragon. He was still swamped by a sea of chores after his sudden ascension to the throne and had almost no time to share with his personal knight except to bestow her one promotion.

"_Kallen, in the battle of Tokyo you slew the Knight of Ten, didn't you? That has earned you the claim to his status, I'm sure it's the Britannia way of climbing the social ladder. If you wish to further your career, simply bring down another traitorous Round that refuses to submit to my rule._"

"Yeah sure buddy okay. 'SImPLy brING dOwN AnoTHEr TRaIToRous RoUnd tHaT RefUSeS tO subMIt tO My ruLE.' Goddamn it! Or you can just make me Round of any number other than ten!" While mocking Lelouch's demeaning gift that was surely nothing more than a joke, Kallen smacked her sword around the small enclosed closet and renovated it with a few dents.

Eventually, Kallen recollected herself and felt mildly ashamed of her tantrum while forgetting all too quickly about the Vampire of Britannia. For a man who lasted only a minute against her on the battlefield that deviant sure left a long-term impression on his replacement. Although Kallen supposed it was his un-sanctioned way of conducting himself that made him the first Round to die in quite some time.

"Err… thanks for the clothes… mister? I'll be off now."

"Yes, it is my honour, My Lord! The only gripe I can even imagine would be the unfortunate alternation you ordered halfway through the process, however seeing the final product now leaves me with no doubt that you've made the right choice! Please return at any time!"

The alteration her tailor referred was a vertical strip of red down the centre of her mantle that Kallen had asked to be added. In the first draft of her uniform she thought it'd be funny to print a particular Japanese phrase along the back of her cape. However, she quickly scrapped that idea in the five seconds it took her to comprehend how silly it looked after receiving the finished goods.

"Yeah… thanks, goodbye." And Kallen was off with a refreshingly new presentation.

— —

With nothing of importance left on her seclude and Lelouch busy with whatever an emperor would be busy with, Kallen found no better substitution of relieving her boredom than to adventure through the Imperial Palace, a site of insurmountable importance to the Empire.

Quite a while and a very lost Kallen later, she ventured upon a room near the residential area of the palace and inside was a not-so-familiar face she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to interact with. However, balancing the pros and cons of making a new acquaintance wasn't the Knightmare ace's method of doing things.

"Whatcha doing over here, Alstreim?"

"Recreation, this's the recreation room."

"That's nice, what're you playing there?"

"Just- hold on, let me focus."

So Kallen remained still as a statue while Alstreim was meticulously pressing away on a game controller in her palm, her sight solely focused the sizable TV ahead. The newly knighted girl was adequately enjoying watching her fellow Round contend in some kind of shooting game on screen, that was until Alstreim got engaged by an unseen enemy and quickly killed before she had time to react.

"Did you… get taken out?" For a dozen seconds, Kallen didn't receive her response. When Alstreim finally reacted, she went ahead and placed a call on her mobile phone instead.

"—Voice verification, Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six. …Give me the Office of Cyber Security. …Locate outgoing internet connection on router two in room one-zero-seven. …Display all users connected to the destination server. …Wait how long?" Around that time was when Kallen sensed something rather fishy.

"Alstreim, just what're you trying to do?" Instead of providing information, Alstreim placed her phone on the settee and clicked on its speaker while she spared some attention back to the next match of her game.

"—We have a list of Ip addresses connected to the target server now, My Lord."

"—Search for username 'NoobMaster69'."

"—My Lord… is this a server hosting the game—"

"-Alstreim, are you actually trying to track down the guy that got you?"

"…No?" Kallen rolled her eyes in unfounded dissatisfaction and leaned over to speak through her phone.

"—Hi, sorry- just forget about that order from Lady Alstreim, she's trying to find the home of whoever killed her in a video game." As the somewhat more responsible adult, Kallen opted to not waste any more time or effort of a government worker.

"—I apologize, ma'am, please identify yourself." The sudden request for confirmation caught Kallen off-guard, even though it was perfectly reasonable.

"— I am… I'm the Knight of… I'm the next-" Words assembled by her brain somehow failed to construct a coherent sentence as it escaped her tongue.

"—Anya Alstreim here, cancel the search. Thank you for your help, return to your regular task."

"—Yes, My Lord. Happy to be of service." Thus, the call disconnected, but Kallen was still stuck in time, frozen by what many would consider a straightforward incident.

"Still breathing, Stadtfeld?"

"-Huh? Oh, yeah. I err- can't believe you used the Cyber Security Agency to track some dude playing a game, were you not taught common sense as a kid?" Kallen snapped out of her stupor and immediately reprimanded Alstreim for her problematic usage of national resources.

"I wasn't."

"Oh… right, did you get your memories back?"

"Yes."

"So how was it?"

"My childhood sucked." To her plain statement, Kallen could only nod in sympathy and compassion.

"But now you can move forward and make new memories, right?" Kallen offered a sincere smile and a gentle pat on the back to the stoic girl, seeing past their old discords and only caring for the young knight.

"…Emperor Lelouch, he said the same thing."

"Because it's the right thing to do, so how did he restore your memories?" Kallen secretly didn't want to dwell too long on Lelouch's kinder self, afraid she'd burst out a blush too deep to hide.

"Jeremiah helped me."

"With his cyborg eye thing?"

"Yes."

"That's cool." Having run dry of small talk to make, Kallen allowed an atmosphere of cringy awkwardness to flow between the two Britannia soldiers.

"Earlier, on the phone, why did you freeze up?" Taking her concentration off her game, Alstreim tagged Kallen in a new topic.

"I'm… not sure if I should give away my name, Lelouch said that… I can still return to the Black Knights as long as I don't make public appearances here, so I can act as a spy and strike them down when their backs are turned."

"…Good excuse, anyone else would've brought it." Alstreim's unperceived wit elicited a small scowl over Kallen's face.

"Why would you say that."

"Emperor Lelouch won't suggest you use yourself. You've been gone for a month now. The Black Knights will be suspicious if you return." There was the one plot hole in Kallen's story and Alstreim struck it with pinpoint accuracy.

"…Fair enough. I actually froze because… being here is still feeling pretty surreal. I regard what I did as the right thing, it's what the Britannian me would've done. But I'm not sure if the Japanese me really approves of my action, I've essentially thrown away everything she and her brother had built up over their entire lives."

"Your other self feels guilty."

"Basically, I've trampled over my brother's dream for my own. I don't regret my decision, but I'm a bit self-conscious about it." Kallen couldn't place her reason for opening up to the Knight of Six. Maybe she'd been fine with anyone willing to lend an ear to her plight, or it was thanks to Alstreim's lack of emotion and judgement behind her tone.

"No use thinking about it, what is done is done. You can't go back to the past, why let it bother you."

"You are… not wrong."

"Want to play video games?" She looked up and said, another controller in one hand.

"…I think I will, thanks Anya."

**Five days after Lelouch's accession**

**Aries Imperial Villa**

In due time, Kallen was starting to appreciate the bemusing architecture design of Britannia. Its essence being making everything very big and thus making everyone feel very small, a simple equation capable of demoralizing even the societal elites who resided in Pendragon.

However, the garden she was in now brought about a feeling of tenderness and tranquillity. As if it was detached from Britannia's oppression.

"C'mon, why aren't we there yet?"

"We'll be there soon. Have some patience."

"…How about now? Are we there yet?"

"I'll proceed to ignore you now, Kallen."

"Wow, when did you become such a buzzkill?"

"I guess you just don't know me well enough." Deep down, Kallen could tell there was no animosity in Suzaku's reply. It could be that, like her, he was unsure how to interact with someone who used to stand under the opposite banner for so long.

Perhaps it was because Lelouch understood the fierce rivalry embedded between the two Knightmare Devicers that he had arranged for them to share minimum contact. Alternatively, he probably found it hilarious to watch the two adversaries avoid tearing out each other's throat and therefore demanded Suzaku pick up Kallen for his delight.

"Suzaku, do you hate me?"

"…I don't."

"But you don't like me either."

"That's not the case. You're brave, Kallen. You're following Lelouch from the bottom of your heart, you've forsaken everything else valuable to you and made your decision. I can respect that devotion." Suzaku pushed open a set of doors leading to a field of green, behind him Kallen hid a small smile from his compliments. "And we're here. Now you can go."

"Your Majesty, Knight of Ten reporting for duty." Seeing her king in the distance, Kallen picked up the pace and took a knee, displaying her dedication to Britannia's new crown. A trivial giggle escaped Suzaku's lips as he watched her run past, but for the time being Kallen didn't preoccupy herself with figuring out why.

"You don't have to do that here, we're the only ones around." Lelouch smiled adoringly, his gesture benevolent as she directed her eyes to the surroundings.

True to his word, there was not a single soul in sight as far as she could see. The marvelous villa treasured by his late mother never lost an ounce of wonderment in the years of its occupant's absence, it was a place of childlike purity as if untouched by the outside world.

"So can I…"

"It's been a while since we last talked like this, Kallen. I've missed you." The Emperor greeted his new knight, inviting her to join him on the lawn bench.

"Lelouch!"

Practically tackling Lelouch from his seat, Kallen affectionately slung her arms around her leader's shoulders and gladly recognized his warmth as her reward. She snugly rubbed her cheeks up against his face and glowed in a crimson blush from their closeness but not shying away from demonstrating her sentimentality. Every inch of the charming prince, from his dazzling purple irises reflecting infinite profundity to his enigmatic smile capturing her heart a thousand times over was brought to the surface of her memory and matched perfectly to his current self.

"Kallen, it's good to see you too."

"I've been wondering when you'll summon me, Lelouch. I've missed you also."

"-Heh, I too was wondering why it suddenly reeks so strongly of virginity. Was it from the foolish girl drowning in self-gratification after missing her crush for less than a week?" As if the depths of hell spat out its spawn, a green menace dressed in her classic white straitjacket manifested itself from thin air to ruin Kallen's reunion.

Fast as lighting, embarrassment overtook the lovesick pilot and she pushed off Lelouch's laps to fling herself out of arm's reach, dislodging her oversized sword as clumsily as she ever could. Unfortunately, her sensible logic knew it was all too late and her deed of intimacy was to be turned into a bullet for her foe.

"Why don't you shove it—" However, as Kallen caught a glimpse of what she assumed would be C.C.'s smirking features, all she could fixate her sight on was the dead golden eyes giving away hints of misery.

"What's the matter? Already given up on thinking of a retort?" As quickly as it came, the next second her scent of sadness dispelled following a few blinks.

"I just don't want to deal with your nonsense all the time."

"How cute, I'll let you have it your way this time." Sitting down herself, C.C. made sure to nestle up against Lelouch's arm. The witch's provocation drew an irked growl from Kallen, who convinced herself to regard it as another one of her antics and nothing more.

Seizing the opportunity to pause the festering squabble of his two companions, Lelouch poured three cups of tea with a swift motion and invited Kallen to take the seat across from him. Reluctantly, the Knight of Ten gave up overthrowing her opponent from her desired spot and settled for the suboptimal result.

"Tell me what you think of my mother's villa, Kallen." Lelouch spoke sombrely, his gaze spread over the endless grass in the distance.

"What? Oh- I think it's a… pretty beautiful… and a very calming place. It just has that atmosphere, making things very soothing." Improvising her response, Kallen put some thoughts into further inspecting Lelouch's childhood home.

"How would you feel about moving here?"

"Like, permanently? Like living here?"

"Why not? You can relax under the sun and trend to the gardens as my mother once did."

"No, I think I'll pass. It's a great offer, Lelouch. However I prefer to be closer to you so that I can get there whenever you need me." A firm resolution from Kallen with no room for argument. Lelouch studied her expression with a keen interest but said nothing more, letting a moment of gentle harmony cradle the three vastly different souls.

As the trio relaxed under the sunshine of a late-summer afternoon, serene wind blew among them and sent Lelouch's dark locks into a fluid dance. Without catching his glance, Kallen discreetly admired his soft features, imagining to herself how fascinating their future could be as long as she would remain close. When their eyes eventually met, the bashful youth quelled her self-consciousness and offered her king a mellow smile that only grew as he was the one who flustered first.

"Nonetheless, this garden is one of the few things the Empress did that was motherly, even if not directly. Go with C.C. and have a look around the place, maybe you'll find something that changes your mind." Almost an eternity later, Lelouch said.

"Okay…? Why don't you come with us? We'll have a good time together, and Suzaku can tag along too, I'm feeling a bit bad that he's just standing there."

"I'll have to refuse, for myself and Suzaku. We have matters to discuss. But you two can have some fun, you've deserved it.

"Sure… but is that it? You called me here to sell me real-estate?" Kallen, feeling rather offended, asked with a skeptical pout.

Her reply came first from Lelouch's hand instead of his words, his fingers carefully caressed her puffy cheeks and left behind a lingering sensation mesmerizing Kallen with just one amorous touch.

"I just wanted to see you, Kallen. That's enough for me."

"O-oh, of course, Y-Your Majesty." Seduced by Lelouch's dreamlike charisma, Kallen hastily lowered her face under the collar of her cloak to hide away her reddened cheeks. C.C. who saw that their tea party had come to a close, pecked Lelouch once on his neck and departed with an annoyed Kallen.

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

"Have you seen what it says on the back of her cloak?" Suzaku approached Lelouch and heeded his question after the two ladies rode off on a pair of horses to explore the uncharted land.

"Yeah, it's faint and covered by the red stripe, but I can see it says 'World's strongest' under there." Recalling the amusing trait of his fellow knight, Suzaku hid his curiosity while Lelouch softly laughed.

"Was it a good idea to bring Kallen with us?" Once the short span of merriment passed, Suzaku took on a serious attitude.

"I hope it is."

"You didn't consult with any of us."

"Where is there a need to reveal every negligible detail?"

"She is a core member of the Black Knights, her existence here could compromise us." To Suzaku's proposed threat, Lelouch's stern manner only hardened.

"Kallen has proven herself to be loyal to me without a doubt, why are you so uneasy, Suzaku?"

"It's precisely because of how loyal she is she'll be a danger to our plan. She'll not accept Zero Requiem."

"In time, it will not be a matter of her opinion." When faced with the incommoding truth, Lelouch chose silence over a poorly constructed argument.

"Her opinion might determine the outcome of everything, what if she steps in and disrupts us at a critical moment?"

"Then I'll ensure that doesn't happen! Why must you be so persistent, Suzaku!" Lelouch's sudden outburst didn't even faze the Knight's cold demeanor.

"I stand as your sword. I shall purge both your enemies and your own weakness. Currently, Kallen is your weakness." Instantaneously tensed by the brown-haired soldier's connotation, Lelouch shot up a murderous glare and was challenged by one just as fierce.

"You will not bring harm to Kallen."

"That is for you to decide. You have the means to do so, Geass her into abandoning her love for you." The ping of agony brought about by merely entertaining the idea for a fraction of a second immediately caused Lelouch to cease all further imagination.

"I will never force upon her a Geass so contradictory to her very core."

"You have the gall to say that after everything you've done? Your hypocrisy truly knows no bounds." Suzaku's words were as loathsome as they were factual, Lelouch created many ripostes to counter his agreement but replied none of them.

"…Enough, Kallen's infatuation might be a hindrance, but not insurmountable. When the time comes, I'll deal with it."

"If that time is ever to come." Suzaku took a step closer, his stance firmly shedding a shadow over the white robe of the monarch. "Since you took power five days ago, you've done nothing other than toppling some statute of Emperor Charles. At this rate, we'll never reach world domination."

"It's funny, hearing those words coming from you." In hindsight, Suzaku could agree how it sounded unfitting for him to utter such an ambition.

"You know what I'm saying, are you stalling for time?"

"So what if I am? It's the reason I enlisted Nina's help. With one simple move, I've placed Schneizel in check. Your urgency is unnecessary. Besides, I've also greatly reduced the authority of the aristocracy and given more lenient treatments to all Numbers around the world. Most of all, I've kept Schneizal's promise of returning Aera Eleven the people of Japan, are you saying it is not enough?" Update on Lelouch's progress eased a few of Suzaku's concerns.

"Perhaps for the time being, but we must create bigger waves to shake the foundation of the world." Confronted by Suzaku's endless pressure, Lelouch placed his face in his palms and sighed.

Suzaku didn't want to believe he was gleaning pleasure from seeing his former friend so distressed and uneasy, but a dark corner of his heart took pride in driving the Emperor up a wall using nothing but phrases and sentences. Lelouch had deserved whatever torment came his way after all the crimes he committed, so add another match to the fire was hardly too extreme.

"…She asked me to be more considerate, you know." Still somewhat clouded by turmoil, Lelouch said with his gaze downwards.

"Who did?"

"Kallen. She said that people aren't inherently evil, it is our circumstances that shape our choices and force us to turn against each other. I'm sure she'd hope that if people can just change, there'll be no need for all of this."

"A futile dream. I had the same wish in mind once and look where it led me. To just hope for betterment won't change a thing, the only thing that matters is the result." Suzaku grimaced as he remembered the same scene of a dying Euphie, had he chosen differently at any point and prevented her from reaching the end that doomed her, she could still be around.

"And on that, we agree. However, I still want her to have a dream to believe in, that's why I'll pretend to be what she wanted; a just and be gracious Emperor. You understand my feelings, right? You've done the same for my sister, after all."

"Do not speak about Euphie with me, you'll never understand what we had. And for her, I was ready to change…! I had changed!" Controlling his emotions, Suzaku was infinitely close to snapping at Lelouch for using his one love as ammo.

"I won't say I do, but I have something of equal value. I… I love Kallen… or I want to think I love her, I'm not sure myself. Every time I see her, I cannot help but wish to protect her, protect the future that she deserves."

Suzaku remained quiet as he observed Lelouch's unreadable guise to no avail, the ex-prince only put on a composed look and a glint of reminiscence in his eyes. The former Zero wasn't lying about his fondness for the redhead, unless he was completely hollow on the inside and capable of emoting whatever he wanted down to the smallest detail, however the Japanese man hoped to deem it as impossible for him to be so far gone.

"For now, I'll believe that your feelings are real. Still, it changes nothing, we must do what we've set out to do."

"Then listen to my one request, Suzaku. It is not an order, just something I want you to understand."

"I'll hear it."

"Obtain a Geass from C.C., it's the only way you can ensure Zero Requiem come to fruition."

Outrage and resentment overwhelmed Suzaku's rational method in the shortest instant possible, he forcefully grabbed Lelouch by the collars off his seat and reeled his fist back for a strike. However, when the pupils of his worst enemy and best friend only signalled nothing other than pure solace, it drenched the burning hatred lying in wait within Suzaku's heart just as quickly as it ignited.

"…Why do you suggest such a thing to me, out of everyone?! Despite knowing how I feel?!"

"You know, Suzaku. Isn't Geass something akin to a wish? It's a request to someone to give you the power to achieve what you can't on your own." Suzaku pondered Lelouch's example, watching the Emperor who owned one-third of the world spoke earnestly yet he only saw desolation in his words.

"You've never used it like that."

"And I wish to start. Where I am, I'll no longer rely on the power of Kings to reach my destination. So, I want you to take on one yourself, it might end up being your only way of stopping me."

"What do you mean?"

"I will grow attached to the world, I can feel those sentiments rising; slowly at first, but in time I won't be able to stop myself. I'll grow to regret agreeing to Zero Requiem and my own demise, I'll become too attached to… too attached to offer myself for world peace." Such frankness, even for Suzaku it was his first time seeing it out of Lelouch.

"All of this, because of Kallen?"

"You've done far better… and worse things for love." Again, Suzaku reflected on the Emperor's words.

"And you push this responsibility onto me. Why not use Geass on yourself?"

"I've done enough of lying to myself. If I lie again, I won't be able to trust anything I'll do after that. Besides, you said you're my sword to destroy my enemies and my weakness. But weakness isn't something to be destroyed; it is to be conquered. The current me doesn't have the willpower to conquer it, maybe I never will." Hearing his candid explanation, Suzaku released Lelouch from his grip.

"I will consider it, but I will never become like you."

"All the better, I only hope you can understand through its power why I did what I did. And in time… I'll tell you the entire truth of that day in the SAZ, everything that I regretted." It always came back to her, the one moment in Suzaku's life that altered the course of history.

"Don't attempt to entice with your biased truth."

"You won't understand without experiencing it yourself. In that sense, Geass is like a fire, paramount to mankind's survival yet devastating in the wrong hands."

"And whose hands do you have?"

"I have the worst hands to entrust this power to of them all."

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

"Pull!"

Two white targets burst into her view from separate sides and varying degrees angles of the range. The round clay followed a defined trajectory governed by the laws of physics, landing themselves dead centre in Kallen's sight as she rapidly pulled the trigger of her shotgun twice.

"Two kills, I'm up by fourteen points now."

"…All brute and no delicacy, typical." C.C., pouted dismissively, even through her eye-protection goggles Kallen could still spot some residue of her frustration from defeat.

"Sounds like what a sore loser would say. This is what happens when all you do is lazy around and eat pizza, you'd have died so many times on the battlefield if it wasn't for—"

"-Pull!" When C.C. lost, she didn't lose with grace.

Watching the green-haired woman shoot wildly into the air as the clay disk flew by harmlessly until they shattered on impact far away, Kallen wondered to herself how she got roped into this sport anyhow. Apparently, Marianne's villa included all sorts of entertainment she enjoyed. So of course, C.C. was the one who understood how to activate each and every one of the games.

"I hate guns."

"You need to line up the foresight with the rearsight and the target, don't just guess where the pallets could go."

"I don't need this lecture from someone who can't properly wear their sword around their waist."

"It's just too big, alright?! And wearing it around the waist is dumb anyway. It just bumps into everything and I can't even sit down."

"Just wear it on your back then. Actually, you do know that you don't have to lug it around everywhere you go, right? It's just for show, not for combat or anything."

"That's- that's… alright, I'll take your advice this time." Kallen sneaked a peek past the smirking C.C. at her cape and weapon sitting comfortably on the racks off to the side, not a single person around too close to disturb their relaxing time.

Not even Lelouch was there, who she secretly hoped would drop by and visit, maybe catching some of her peak accuracies and praising her for her marksmanship.

"What do you suppose Lelouch is doing right now?"

"Discussing his precious little strategies for the Empire with Suzaku, that's my guess anyway."

"So he's keeping you out of the loop too, huh?"

"Definitely not as much as you." Shaking her head, Kallen puzzled about how anyone could communicate with the ageless witch without contemplating suicide, or murder.

"Why won't he trust me…? Is it because I've failed him before?" Not particularly seeking C.C.'s outlook, Kallen muttered to herself.

" 'Those you care about are best kept far away.'. If you believe that then maybe there's your answer." C.C. said, perplexing as she ever was.

"But that's not fair to me! If he keeps me at an arm's length forever, we'll never truly understand each other."

"Because you want him to love you?"

"I should say no, but it's too obvious to hide it… it's why I followed him here." By her statement, C.C. couldn't help but gawk at the young girl so intently confessing the contents of her heart. However, the red-haired ace only seemed interested in perfecting the art of skeet shooting. "Pull!"

"How unusually mature of you, Kallen."

There was no reply to C.C.'s playful taunt other than the echoing resonance of two buckshot shells ringing in the air, Kallen aimed dexterously at the flying targets and sniped them out of the blue once again. Afterward, she broke open her over-under shotgun and retrieved the empty casings from its barrel.

"You know, it's just- I don't want to play the game anymore, there's no point in keeping it going."

"You're the one who suggested this sport, awfully irresponsible for you to abandon it halfway."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about, C.C.! I love Lelouch, I truly do. I love him so much, I left behind everything that defined who I am to be with him, to protect him and serve him." C.C. heedfully strode over, her blank expression never betraying her reactions.

"And you do, thus you're here. What of it?"

"Well, the me right now can tell that you love him just as much, C.C."

"Is that your professional opinion?" Golden irises clashed against azure lens, neither willing to give an inch of ground.

"I can tell you do. We're immensely different people, it must be why I can notice our only similarity." C.C. continued to appear mystifying, not shifting her brow at Kallen's declaration.

"So what? Proud of your own bluntness?"

"In another three weeks it'll be one year since Lelouch rescued me at Shinjuku, I'll confess my feelings to him on the anniversary of our first encounter. You can do with that knowledge however you will."

"What do you suppose I do with this information."

"If you can ever be honest with yourself, you'll tell him how you feel." The widened eyes C.C. shot back at her put a few cracks in the witch's mask of aloofness.

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Are you not tired of this, C.C.? Always having that persona of being so remote, I think I understand you well enough to know it's not how you really are. But I guess that's just from my perspective." Kallen snatched her hair with her free hand, unsure of how to word her intentions without overstepping her boundaries.

"Hmph… you and Lelouch are the only ones who claim they understand me… awfully presumptuous of you two, honestly."

"I don't know… I just want to do something kind for a friend, unless that's not who I am to you…" Another wholehearted revelation which threw C.C. off her game. "I think you deserve to be happy too, C.C., that's it, really."

"A friend, huh…? you out of all people are willing to call me that… I truly have been—" C.C.'s train of thought derailed by the catchy ringtone of her phone. Not just hers, but Kallen also received an incoming call.

"—It's me, go ahead." Kallen returned her shotgun to its original spot on the rack, emptying out the cartridges she carried in her pouch as well.

"—My lord, you're ordered to head for Operation Centre, Section Two. We have confirmation of incoming forces consisting of four Knights of Rounds including the Knight of One, His Majesty will debrief you on-site."

"—Understood." Kallen hurriedly hung up her phone, arranged for the servants to clean up their game of skeet shooting and draped her cloak over her shoulders, making sure not to catch it on the sword she wore behind her hack.

"You heard what I heard?" C.C. asked, guiding a pair of horses by their reins over to the Knight of Ten.

"Yeah, I have to go, maybe earn a promotion too."

"Good luck with your ventures… my friend, Kallen."

— —

**Author's note**

In many fic I've read on Code Geass, people often describe Lelouch's eyes and how beautiful they are. But if you think about it after SAZ only one of his eye colours is real and after becoming the Emperor both of his eyes are just contact lens, that's kinda funny.

I think this chapter is actually pretty solid. The plot moved, the characters kinda developed, stuff is happening that isn't super boring. I think often fanfics lose stream because they become too unrelatable to a majority of readers who doesn't really care how the plot continues after it divulges from canon, (literally speaking from experience.) but it's also a totally unavoidable problem. What I try to do is incorporate canon elements to a plot that'll eventually become different, it probably won't work and the same issue will probably arise, but I tried so yeah.

The comical part at the start might be a bit cringe honestly, but I wrote it and don't want to get rid of it. Besides it serves a bit of purpose other than making bad references so there's that. Other than that I was gonna handwave some plot elements but I actually just forgot, so let me know if you wanna complain about anything or make suggestions.

Now to reply to some reviews that brings up things I actually want to address, to everyone else thanks for writing a thing for me.

For Imperator's slave, talking about the F.L.E.I.J.A standoff and pairings and trash talking C.C.: Honestly shoutout to Hideo Kojima for teaching me what the cold war is, Snake Eaters best MGS my dudes. (although the last chapter reference was to MGSV but don't worry about it.) And I don't have plans to develop any more relationships beyond Lelouch/C.C./Kallen, don't really think I can handle a harem that big or there's anyone else with enough canon interest in Lelouch to make it work. But I do wanna say my opinion on C.C. is very subjective, because I don't personally find her to be prime GF material doesn't mean she's a bad pair with Lelouch, I should've made that clear.

For Terran14, talking about me making Kallen be somewhere else while Lelouch became the Emperor: Dude, you actually caught me, I handwaved that so hard last chapter I'm surprised my prints weren't on it. Of course I can come up with excuses for why she wasn't there, like saying it took them a long time to actually find Nina because she tried to be sneaky or so that Lelouch, Suzaku and C.C. have time to discuss Zero Requiem. (Actually that's a very good excuse, and it makes sense too.) But stuff like this will fall apart if you think too hard about it, honestly the whole story will if you analyze it. So please don't do that, and sorry for plot holes, durrrrrrrrrrr.

So yeah, thanks for supporting my little work here. Still pretty surprised how fast it grew, you guys are pretty cool, mostly.


	4. Some watery tart threw a sword at me

**Some watery tart threw a sword at me**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, primary Knightmare Hangar**

**Fives days after Lelouch's accession**

For as long as Kallen wanted to recall, she had always been a soldier first and foremost. No matter where she resided or which army she represented, the militaristic life never fell too far behind. From the ghettos of a conquered Japan to the pristine information hub of Britannia's capital, as long as she was given a purpose, her spirit of battle would never diminish.

However, as she surveyed the engineers and mechanics going about their daily tasks beside a legion of formidable Knightmares on standby, she was having a bit of technical difficulties reinvigorating the passion for action that used to light ablaze her soul. Kallen impatiently anticipated Lelouch's arrival, there was a slight matter she thought to bring up with the king which she couldn't talk about earlier in the Command Centre.

Eventually, coming in from down the long hallway, Lelouch approached with Suzaku a dozen steps in the lead, the Knight of Zero passed her by without a greeting and disrobed his fabulous long cape before letting a maid take it out of his care. He continued to march with his unflinching countenance, arriving at the podium behind the group of operators landing the finishing touches on his new Lancelot.

"Your Majesty. A word, if you will." Hailing for Lelouch as he was about to depart for the throne, the half-blooded ace hid her anxiety under her tough demeanor.

"Dame Stadtfeld, what is it?"

"Is there a reason you're putting me on backup? I know Suzaku's a champ behind the sticks, but he's going up against four Rounds!" For as much as Kallen respected Lelouch, her irritation still boiled over by her Emperor's refusal to acknowledge her prowess as a top-notch Devicer. "I can help, let me go."

"I'll have to turn down your kind offer, Dame Stadtfeld. this is a battle meant to demonstrate our infinite potency against all those who dare to challenge me. Suzaku alone will be enough."

"Am I not just as much of a sword to the empire as he is? You know I'm a good pilot, Lelouch! You don't have to worry!" Hearing her courage, the ninety-ninth emperor pondered.

"I don't doubt your skills, Kallen. But there's another reason I'm keeping you back. You still have your anonymity so far outside Pendragon, people only know you as the Knight of Ten. You can still go back if the scenario calls for—"

"-But I won't! I'm definitely going to stay here with you… Lelouch! So please, don't hold me back like that! Let me follow you if that's what my heart believes to be just!" Tucking the genius strategist closer to her reddened cheeks, Kallen unleashed her rampant fervor towards her leader for a split second before anyone around could notice their distance.

"You can still go back if the scenario calls for a spy to be planted within the Black Knights, you're currently the only one with such a connection." Lelouch finished his interrupted message, leaving Kallen relatively flabbergasted.

"Oh, so I was correct… huh." Harking back to the false theory Kallen told to Anya a couple of days ago, she only just discovered her random guess was the truth the entire time. But somehow, knowing her intuition was on the mark didn't deliver joy to her person.

_Lelouch isn't worried if I'll be found out if I go back…? He trusts me to be above that… I hope. _However, with the situation now set in stone. Kallen applied her smarts in a bid to improvise a solution Lelouch couldn't disapprove of without seeming uncharacteristically contrived.

"When you say people recognize me, they don't actually recognize my face, right? So, there's no problem with me taking another Knightmare into battle. Will Your Majesty at least spare this much autonomy to me? Pretty Please?"

"But you won't be accustomed to whichever machine we can spare you here…"

"Do you really think of me as someone who'll bite it so easily just because I'm not flying the Guren?"

"Well… I suppose you got a point. Is that what you really want, Kallen? Fighting for Britannia?" After deep consideration, Lelouch grudgingly swallowed Kallen's determination to not take no for an answer.

"It doesn't bother me as long as you remain its ruler, that's why I want to make sure nothing goes awry today. So what say you, Your Majesty?" Going as far as to perform an imperial salute, Kallen swept aside her prejudice in favour of her endearment for the foreign prince.

"Hmm… alright, you've convinced me, Kallen. I won't stop you if that's what you want, pick from the selection of Knightmares we have and prepare for battle." Lelouch's approval easily overshadowed any doubts that lingered in Kallen's mind, bringing a gleeful mood back to her personality.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

As Kallen spun around in search of a new mobile war machine, a petite pink-haired girl yelling frigidly at the soldiers standing guard plucked the interest of the recently appointed king and his knight. Sharing a look with each other, the two of them scurried over to the source of the commotion.

"Dame Alstreim, you've not been summoned by Emperor Lelouch! If you want to see him please arrange an appointment!"

"I see him right there, let me talk to him." Mustering not even a smidge of energy, Anya tried to budge her way through the two taller guards to little effect.

"-That's enough, what's the problem here?" Alerted by Lelouch's presence, all the Britannians stuck in the dispute stopped their struggle and took a bow.

"Your Majesty, Dame Alstreim wishes to speak to you regarding the current mission, but since—"

"-Don't worry about it, I'll take over." Couldn't be bothered to explain his every action, Lelouch told off the soldiers and waved for Anya to approach.

"Your Majesty, Knight of Six wishes to word a humble request." Seizing her opportunity, Anya kneeled graciously before Lelouch and awaited her permission.

"Speak."

"Please, Your Majesty. In the upcoming fight, spare Gino, and Dorothea, and Monica, and Sir Bismarck." With half of her leg still on the floor, Anya didn't dare to look up when she beseeched such a preposterous plea with her unsteady voice.

"Your reason?" Not giving the tottering pilot a break, Lelouch spoke his phrase coldly.

"…They're misguided, Your Majesty. I've known them… for a long time, I remember… we're all loyal to the Britannia above its crown. They just don't see it… if they live, they'll know… you're the righteous ruler."

"And if they still won't accept me after witnessing my mercy? If they decide to turn on me from within my ranks?"

"Then I'll… personally put them down, give my life for it if I must." Anya's figure shook, whether it was apprehension or resolve that overcame her, Kallen couldn't tell.

"Raise, Dame Alstreim, I make no promises about meeting your conditions, however there certainly will be an effort to try. I'll inform Suzaku about his updated parameters, although may I suggest not getting your hopes up."

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty." Hearing his promise, Anya stood up. Her improving expression could nearly be described as a smile. She took an elegant bow to her emperor before uttering a phrase most well-known in the nation, although through her usual monotone. "All hail Britannia. All hail Lelouch."

"I just realized; I should've asked if I can borrow her Mordred." Observing the short shadow disappearing behind the doors, Kallen remembered she was still one Knightmare short of being a functional pilot.

"You won't like it, it's way too slow and heavy." Lelouch commented.

"Fair point, but I don't want to sortie in crappy units. Maybe a Vincent Commander Model, it's just not my thing though. I'm a flying ace, you know? I deserve my custom design." Kallen arbitrarily complained, it seemed there really wasn't a solution to her problem.

"Well, I heard they've one extra custom Knightmare somewhere. It was built as a replacement since you destroyed the first one, you can probably get them to do a rush job and spray it red."

"Actually!? Nice, I'll take it!"

— —

"NO! No-no-no! You tricked me, you tricked me! Lelouch vi Britannia!" In the storage hangar for unused Knightmares, Kallen shrieked the name of the king to no fanfare.

**Gino Weinberg, Knight of Three**

**Airspace over Pendragon**

Gino vigilantly surveyed the land beneath him and his Tristan, the normally bustling highways surrounding Pendragon would be packed full of traffic around this time, or any time of the day. Now all he saw was empty lines of pavement without a single track of tires rolling through them.

_At least the civilians have been evacuated, I can fight without worrying about where I drop their dead._ Foreseeing the upcoming battle for the freedom of Britannia, Gino felt a trace of comfort knowing no ordinary citizens would be dragged into the bloodshed created by a mad king.

Connecting the dots in his head led Gino back to thoughts about the usurper, Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia. It felt so surreal to remember not two months ago, the young lad was just a vice-president of Ashford Academy's Student Council and now he effectively controlled over one-third of the known world.

_The world works in funny ways, Suzaku is sure to agree with me this time._

"—All units, we're on approach to the capital, keep your eyes open for hostile interceptors." The oldest of the Rounds and the leader of Gino's band of uprising knights gunning for Pendragon, Bismarck Waldstein reminded them over the comms.

"—It's strange, they haven't sent out even a recon unit. Where're the enemies?"

"—Maybe they're handing the capital over to us without a fight, Monica." Gino replied to his fellow Rounds, his eyes never leaving the main screen of the Tristan.

"—A genuine coward Lelouch will be if he has already surrendered the throne, won't that ruin the atmosphere of our offensive?" To his left, the Knight of Four, Dorothea asked sarcastically.

"—If we can end his reign without further bloodshed, then that's alright by me." To avoid needless killing, no matter of whom had always been a noble merit Gino held himself up to, even when the trying times demanded someone's life to be forfeit.

"—All units, be advised. Scanners are picking up… two incoming Knightmares, get ready." Again, Bismarck's profound voice gave no ground to lighthearted banter.

"—But only two units? Isn't that a bit… -there's an inbound open transmission from Pendragon. Is it…? Emperor Lelouch is hailing us!" Very soon, Gino made the same realization as Monica. Like the other knights, he reluctantly agreed to listen to the message from the young monarch.

"—To all Knights of Rounds and their company aiming to dethrone me! Ask yourself this, what decides who amongst men is most deserving to rule? Is it their heritage? Their charisma? Their compassion?" from his Imperial throne, the new Emperor dressed in white from head to toe inquired over the broadcast.

"—It's whoever amongst those of the Imperial Bloodline reign supreme above all others! Strength through righteous succession and honour to the crown!" The Knight of One yelled fiercely his creed for the Emperor to hear, his decision already made and his fortitude unmoving.

"—We've confirmed the two Knightmare models, it's the Lancelot and… the Percival." During the heated debate Bismarck held with Lelouch, Gino received an update on their impending enemies.

"—The Percival? Its colour scheme looks different, it's way too red. Who could be piloting it?"

"—With Sir Bradley dead, it must be the new Knight of Ten Lelouch appointed a few days ago… damn him, I never liked Luciano but a knight should be laid to rest with his sword!" Holding his silence as Dorothea and Monica conversed, Gino had the slightest hint of who its Devicer could be.

"— -A decaying mindset. My answer is… the resolve to initiate! I shall bring about the creation of a new Britannia, a new world! Emperor Charles languished Britannia's ability to walk forward, thus I have succeeded him. And all of you are slaves to his ethics, nothing but relics of a past age!"

"—Then there's nothing more to speak of, Lelouch! We, loyal knight of Emperor Charles shall never accept your claim to the throne!"

"—And so I stand superior, for I will offer all of you a chance at absolution. Lelouch vi Britannia commands you! Surrender your foolish dreams and serve me! I shall permit you to keep your lives intact! Or else ahead you will only find devastation!"

"—A meaningless order and truth-less claim!" In the background of the open channel, Gino could hear roars of agreement echoing Bismarck's statement on their own comms.

"—You've made your choice, yet my sympathy to the ignorant knows no bounds. If any of the insurgents decide to open their eyes and see the futility of this struggle, I will accept your surrender whenever you submit. Otherwise… enjoy annihilation." The connection to Pendragon ended, in its place the curtains of war raised.

The battle for the capital of Britannia had officially begun as Lelouch's portrait disappeared from the monitors of the attackers. Not a second too slow, the defending Knightmares plunged into action. The Percival dashed forward at a speed never capable before, and the Lancelot briefly vanished from view entirely.

"—What!? I can't track it! How is it doing those acrobatics—!" In the short period it took for any of the pilots to gain composure over the situation, a haze of green energy consumed Dorothea's Palomides from the skies above.

"—Dorothea! Status!"

Gino shook away his daze in the face of overpowering force, many of his fellow warriors also were stunned by the sudden development of action. He glanced over to where the Knight of Four last hovered and picked out a dot of white decreasing in attitude rapidly before its parachute unfurled and reduced the cockpit block's velocity.

"—Sorry I'm out! He's too fast, he got me instantly!"

Panning his focus back on course, the blonde knight scanned the wild stratosphere for clues to the enemy and found only beams of particles fired from the energy wings of the Albion raining chaos down upon his troops. Gino boosted the Tristan out of harm's way just in time for it to avoid getting caught by a barrage of missiles fired from below, where the Percival seized the opening and soared high above, placing itself amidst its foes.

"—Tristan and Florence will handle the Percival, leave the Lancelot to me!" Rising from the disarray, Bismarck commanded for his tactic to be implemented.

"—Understood! I've got the Percival in-sight, engaging!" The Florence charged ahead, leaving Gino in her dust.

"—Hold on, Monica! You don't know the potential of that pilot!"

"—And you do!? If we just bring down that corpse wielder then Lancelot by itself shouldn't be too—" The young Knight of Twelve suddenly choked on her words, the face Gino saw on his display contorted in disbelieving angst and unquenchable fury. "-N-no! No way- t-that's impossible—!"

"—Hang on, I'm on my way!"

Gino thrust his throttle as far as it could reach, pushing the propulsion system of the Tristan to its limit. However, lost in the thick clouds of endless explosions and casualties, his way forward was muddier than ever. By the time he caught sight of the Florence in peril, the abrupt battle had already been decided.

"— -You there, woman in the mantis-looking Knightmare, I have a question for you. What's the most precious thing for a person?" The voice of Percival's Devicer, even after a couple of month Gino still remembered it vividly.

"—Y-you uncultured swine! You-you dare use Luciano's tricks on me!?" Monica screamed through the ruptured hole of her Florence, its limbs entangled by the slash harkens of the opposing Knightmare and its cockpit drilled open by the MVS claw that was its former pilot's favourite weapon. "—Curse you, wench! You won't- you won't dare!"

"—Wait! Wait a second, don't do it, Kallen!" Gino shouted the mixed-blood redhead's name, but his advances were either halted by a burst of beams from the Percival's hadron blaster or wide shots from the Lancelot's wings.

"—I was told it'd be their life, what do you think?" The rotating drill steadily picked up in speed and inched closer to the Knight of Twelve, there was nothing standing in-between the deadly luminous tip and her pale flesh. "—Do you mind showing me? What a person would look like when they know their life is about to be snatched away?"

"—J-just hold on- hold on a sec, alright-? P-please! Wait-! Please! DON'T!" With the face cam of the Florence long since destroyed, Gino couldn't guess what expression Monica held as impending death crept ever closer. Her voice, however, trembled intensely and so filled with fear that would crack even a veteran's killing intent.

"—Disarm yourself, Knight of Twelve. Be glad that I killed the previous pilot of this Knightmare, and even more so that his replacement isn't a sicko."

"—Okay… okay, j-just give me… give me a sec." The armaments of the Florence detached and fell into freefall, leaving the machine with only its mangled body and crippled members.

"—Your float system is still functional?"

"—Yes…"

"—Does your model comes with an ejection system?"

"—…No."

"—Didn't think so. Float yourself to the ground and surrender, Search and Rescue will pick you up in a bit. But if I see you again in the sky…"

"—I understand… I surrender." And so, what remained of Monica's Knightmare was released by the Percival and slowly drifted downwards away from the fierce firefight overhead.

For what felt like an eternity, the Tristan simply hung in the air facing off a motionless Percival. Neither party was audacious enough to make the first move. And for Gino, he wasn't certain if being the one to kick off a skirmish against Kallen would wind-up in his favour.

"—We gotta stop running into each other like this, Gino." Eventually, the Black Knight, or ex-Black Knight stated.

"—I'm actually really glad to meet you again, more so that you took my advice in the end."

"—Funny how things work out, pat yourself on the back for thinking that it was you who convinced me."

"—But you did join Britannia, even if it's under the usurper Lelouch's banner, and that makes you Kallen…?" From his tone, Gino hoped the topnotch Devicer would pick up his inquiry for her last name.

"—Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten to the Britannia Empire." Gino couldn't explain why, but he was extraordinarily elated by Kallen's redemption despite their circumstances.

"—If only you've chosen earlier, we could be comrades on the battlefield."

"—And we still can. Join me, Gino. Together we can protect the new Britannia." Kallen too sounded unusually jubilant, much different from the prisoner they held in Tokyo.

"—You say that even though you know of Lelouch's deed, how he came into power? Is it because you two were once classmates?"

"—Partly, however it's mostly because his ideas for the future are correct. You know this in your heart, Gino. The old Britannia is filled with corruption and stagnation, it was a relic of a bygone age. And Lelouch is here to fix all that, are you really so resistant to making every day better?"

Her words, spoken like a true subscriber of Emperor Lelouch struck a chord with Gino in ways he couldn't designate. What Kallen claimed were largely facts; Britannia was corrupt, even viewed through the reputation of a distinguished nobility such as himself. However, were the masses susceptible enough to accept a sweeping change to their ways of life and would it be worth it if the populace had to sacrifice their daily norm was what stopped him for taking the leap of faith.

Those were mysteries Gino mused over yet he couldn't reach a definite verdict.

"—I don't know if Lelouch's revolution is for the better, but his methods are definitely wrong. He should've returned to the court and climbed his way up from there." Kallen, after hearing the pilot of Tristan's explanation, let out a short and hefty chuckle.

"—You say things the old Suzaku used to say, you know. Before he went all… depressed and stuff. And even he realized it wasn't the right path. To truly stand above others it takes not only effort and wisdom, but also the resolve to destroy. Lelouch promised he'll destroy the old autocracy and create anew, that's why I swore to follow him."

"—I… don't totally disagree with his message, but I too have sworn an oath to the crown. It saddens me deeply to be unable to convince you with words, Kallen. I suppose we must let our blades speak next." Hearing his proclamation, a disappointed countenance overshadowed Kallen's previous delight.

"I must protect Lelouch's homeland, I must protect Lelouch's dream. I won't lose in a duel, Gino. My title as the Knight of Ten steaks on it, after all."

"—It is so ironic to hear you of all people saying that… but I guess it's evidence that even the most rigid of individuals can change. May the best man win."

The Knightmares stood adamant, their pilots' minds relentless. As both mechanical giants readied their weapons for the war that was bound to happen, a new update manifested itself on the open channel.

"—To all knights and soldiers belonging to Emperor Charles' era, your uprising has fallen, together with Sir Bismarck Waldstein. Surrender your weapons and I'll guarantee your safety, I swear upon my title as the Knight of Zero… and the mightiest knight of the Empire."

Gino watched wordlessly, bearing witness to the peerless valour of the Lancelot Albion in all of its brilliance as it concluded its dance of destruction. The white Knightmare towered over the blazing explosion of the remains that used to be the Galahad. It sheathed the pair of burning MVS which slew the Knight of One and pulsed its wings a few more times, seemingly seeking to decimate the remnant of fighting spirit that still lingered in its foes.

"—…Impossible, he defeated Sir Bismarck… in how long?" Gino commented, in his awestricken stupor he didn't realize the communication device was so on.

"—Damn it, I guess it's over. Sorry, Gino, but you can't win against the new Lancelot, against Suzaku." Turning back, Kallen already dropped her guard and ceased the rotation of the forearm particle drill.

"—No! I can't let it end like this! I have to stop him. I have to stop all of you!" Not deterred enough to yield yet, Gino drove the Tristan to close in on the Lancelot, expect its body was towed by the Percival's slash harkens and halted its momentum.

"—Gino! It's over! Give it up! Even if you don't wanna live, think of the people that care for you! Think of Anya, at least!"

"—What do you know about Anya! You two met like- twice!"

"—She's with us now, and she asked Lelouch to not order any of your Knightmares destroyed if possible." What Kallen revealed was information that calmed him down from his moment of intensity, Gino recollected his thoughts and dwindled the output of the Tristan's engine.

"—Anya… is with Lelouch?"

"—She is, and if you want to know why. You'll have to live to ask her." Instinctively agreeing with Kallen's straightforward suggestion, the tall noble composed his chaotic mind to peer for a reasonable course of action. However, the next step to take found him instead in the form of a broadcast from Pendragon aimed at the globe.

"—Hear me, people of the world! I believe the images you've just seen should prove to you without a doubt that I am the true ruler of Britannia, in name and in reality! Now that's settled, we the Holy Britannia Empire seeks to arrange a peace treaty between us and the United Federation of Nations! It is an unbecoming war waged by Zero against the old Britannia that is no more, and so in a future where we've mended the damage, I wish for Britannia to also join the United Federation."

By Lelouch's extraordinary declaration that shook the foundation of the entire world, nobody could guess if ushering in a new age of peace was his goal.

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Military Detention Centre**

"What else did Prince Schneizel talk about? Die he mention anything you don't understand?"

"Nothing really. It was Sir Bismarck who suggested a frontal assault, said right now is the best opportunity to strike, before Lelouch can effectively mobilize his forces. Although, I see that he really didn't take you into consideration."

Kallen together with Anya walked through the passcode protected doorway leading to the detention centre, her idle daydream interrupted by the dialogue between two veterans in the Rounds business. A rarely grave voice was sparingly chatting away while his Japanese recipient was someone who only made remarks when required and even those weren't particularly engaging.

"Who else did you meet in Cambodia besides the royalties?"

"Nobody that isn't supposed to be there. Although, there's that reporter guy that used to be with the Black Knights, but he didn't really do anything." Suzaku nodded in a positive assertion. "Even if I knew more secrets, don't expect me to be so willing to share."

"I see. That's all I wanted to ask, thanks, Gino." The Knight of Zero smiled gentled to his co-worker, except there was no notion of happiness in his eyes. "-By the way, I'm afraid you won't pick up anything more by standing there, you two."

"How do you keep doing that? It's actually kinda annoying me." He kept recognizing her from impossible approaches, Suzaku's inhuman awareness was really starting to get on Kallen's nerves.

"You just have a very carefree aura these days, it's hard not to notice."

"Strange, since I'm sure I'm emitting a rather raffled mood thanks to you not giving me a chance at the Knight of One." Kallen briskly yanked Suzaku out of earshot of their fellow Rounds, she couldn't be bothered with those two spreading unwarranted rumours as unlikely as it was to happen.

"Right, sorry about that. Sir Bismarck isn't an opponent you can go easy on, I had to focus on our fight to bring him down."

"You could've at least given me a shout, I'd be glad to steal that kill from you. Not that you care for recognition or honours, right?"

"I didn't know you cared that much, it's not what I expect from you, Kallen."

"Well, I got my own thing too…! Damn it, nevermind. I have my reasons, but it's not important enough to jeopardize the mission." Earning the title of Knight of One would've been a huge boost to her ego and kept her esteem high in regards to Lelouch's opinion, too bad that real-life often refused to work in a satisfactory manner.

"I'm glad you have your priorities straight, I got a feeling it wouldn't have ended well if you tried to take him on." Even though Kallen knew Suzaku wasn't the type to ridicule her out of nowhere, she still reserved the right to be insulted.

"Woah, woah! Let's back it up a bit, buddy. Are you suggesting something about there being a difference between us? That I can't take on the Knight of One, who you blew up after a two-minute fight? Is that what you're saying?"

"I guess you can choose to extract that meaning from my words. The scope of our battles is at the world stage now, being the Black Knight's best pilot won't be enough. Against Bismarck, you've been fine were you in the Guren, but the Percival can't fly you as high as you'd like." For however much it hurt to be reminded of her limitations, Kallen never forgot her key was always one click away from summoning her wings.

"What're you even- whatever… we don't need to get overly complicated about this. Just you wait, Suzaku. Once I get back in the Guren I'll be sure to show you who's at the top." Somewhere along their banter, Kallen couldn't tell if they still stood on friendly grounds or the scent of something more sinister had crept into the ribbing.

"Both of you… stop being so mean…" Anya stepped over and cut in, just in time before the mood took a turn for the truly unenjoyable. The shorter girl took the risk when both parties were stunned by her interruption to drag them back before the confined Gino.

"I thought you two were just gonna argue forever, not kidding." A second blow from the friendly Gino easily scattered whatever tension was piling up amid Kallen and Suzaku.

"Gino, did you get locked up?"

Anya walked right up to the cell the Knight of Three was relocated to, In Gino's credit, he seemed hardly discontent about incarceration, especially for someone with his background. Then again, he had full freedom to wander the sizeable cell as he fit and was only separated from the outside world by a panel of see-through glass.

"Well, it's something that happens, think you can get me out?" After tediously staring at the electronic lock, Anya inputted a series of numbers only to receive a negative output for her attempt.

"No."

"You tried your best." Anya also approved of her effort and took one step back from the glass.

"I'll be going now, you can take your time, Kallen. I didn't mean to offend you earlier, don't take it the wrong way." Suzaku said, tapping the red-haired ex-noble on her shoulders.

"Suzaku! What is it you're trying to do! Why're you helping Lelouch!?" Catching his last chance to protest, Gino yelled before the Asian teen slipped away.

"Lelouch and I… will destroy this world, to create anew." Dropping nothing more than a cryptic clue, Suzaku started his departure once more.

"Today… it was good fighting alongside you, Suzaku." Kallen audaciously chose to throw her hat in the ring of last words as well, she couldn't just let him go while never figuring out their relationship.

"You're a good pilot, Kallen. I'm sure Lelouch is happy to have you serve him." With that, the brown-haired soldier finally escaped a maze of enigma.

"Say, are you two friends or not? I honestly can't tell." Gino asked, his earlier distaste for socializing long gone.

"Who knows, I have no clue how to feel about him. Suzaku's went through a lot, and lost a lot of things he cared about, I get that. I guess that's where we're different, I'm fighting for a very simple reason while his is much more complex."

"And you're fighting for?"

"For Lelouch, to protect him, I suppose." Hearing her candid admission, the smirk Gino started off with soon transformed into a contemplative muse.

"Was he worth it, to defect from the Black Knights? Now that Zero is dead, they probably want you on their side more than ever." A shadow of gloom veiled over Kallen as Gino spoke unaware.

"Don't listen to their lies. Zero didn't succumb to his injuries, he was betrayed by the Black Knights after the battle… you know what, the whole thing is a big mess and I don't wanna talk about it. Just- look, I'm on Lelouch's side now, I'll help him create a new Britannia to replace Emperor Charles' old one."

"So just like Suzaku… why're you so unsatisfied with the current world order? Sure, the world isn't perfect, Britannia has many problems with racial superiority and corruption. However, you can't promise the new world you'll create can do any better than the system we've established right now."

Kallen held back her urge to lash out at a moment's notice towards Gino from hearing his pessimistic perspective on the foundations of their society. She knew in her rational mind that it couldn't be helped for someone in his position to grow so blind to the suffering of those not climbing over the corpses of the masses to reach for stature. In fact, the blonde knight wasn't even near the worst of what Britannia held on display, he was some of the few who Kallen was convinced could have their blindness cured.

"You don't understand anything, your vision is limited by your prestigious nobility. I've seen and experienced people's desire for happiness, people's struggle against misery… people's hope for tomorrow." Kallen ranted on passionately, her reproachful glower disappearing bit by bit as she remembered the ember of her endeavour was kept ablaze even after failing herself so many times.

"Not everyone's dreams can be achieved, somebody is guaranteed to fail if somebody else is to succeed."

"But they've given their everything in their effort to try, it's infinitely better than never having the opportunity at all."

"Knowing you've done your best but still come up short is the worst feeling to endure."

"Failure will only serve to motivate people that cannot achieve victory today to strive for tomorrow."

"Even if tomorrow comes, it may not be any better. In fact, they may never be able to reach the height they dreamt of."

"If nothing changes, it can't get any worse. All men… are created unequal, but they deserve to be given the chance to overcome that inequality."

Kallen studied Gino's striking features deeply as he deliberated in noiseless solitude, having a delayed response to her justification for a free tomorrow was enough of a victory in the eyes of the Zero Squad's AWOL Captain. Discounting their cultural differences, Kallen sincerely wished for the tallest of the remaining Rounds to understand the plight of the common man. If she couldn't even persuade one person to reshape their worldview, that would be another symbol of her failure to evolve beyond her naïve self.

"You know what… I'm a man enough to admit when someone else has a good point. I'll seriously go over what you said and reconsider some stuff… give me some time, yeah? Well, not that I can go anywhere else." Gino flashed the typical smile he was known for, and Kallen reciprocated in kind.

"Thank you, Gino… for willing to be more open about things. Oh, and I guess I'm sorry for what I did to that other Knight of Round."

"Who? Luciano?"

"No! Hell no. Fuck that guy. I'm talking about the chick in the insect Knightmare I scared over Pendragon, walked by her cell earlier and she seemed pretty startled." Kallen patted her silky hair in remorse, traumatizing the Knight of Twelve was never her intention, it just so happened she was the victim of an unfortunate scenario.

"Yeah… that was kinda a dick move, why did you do it?"

"I heard her type of Knightmare doesn't have an ejection seat from some kid I met a year ago. I can't take the risk of just disabling her machine and then letting her stab me in the rear later."

"Hmm… I'll admit I owe you people for that one, especially Anya." By the mention of her name, the pink-haired Devicer waved stoically for Gino to perceive her presence.

"I'm still here… don't mind me. And it was Emperor Lelouch who showed mercy… thank him." Anya's declaration caught an apprehensively inquisitive glance from their caged acquaintance.

"Anya, I'm grateful that you convinced Emperor Lelouch to spare us. But why did you do such a thing? Joining the side of Lelouch the usurper… I can't imagine you being someone who'd help to overthrow the sovereignty." Mentally, Kallen distinctively garnered at another storm brewing between the two friends under the tension of Gino's every word, and she wasn't sure if she should interrupt them before it calm was gone.

"Lelouch… is a good person. He gave back the memories Emperor Charles stole from me… in exchange for my service. It a fair trade for both of us… and he's nice to me, I like him."

Rather open about her favouritism, Anya expressed in her standard drone voice as she approached Gino whose hands unyieldingly pressed up to the glass imprisoning him. The two virtuous allies that were both knighted under Emperor Charles' regime now stood as opposing forces in regards to where their loyalty laid.

"Really now? I'm glad that he got your memories back, Anya, I do. But are you aware of what cost? Betraying your oath to the crown is about the worst offense a Britannia Knight of our standing can commit. If Lelouch ever falls from power, you'd be executed."

"That's why I'll defend him… from enemies abound."

"His first enemy being the ninety-eight Emperor, did you just stand by as he and Suzaku assassinated Britannia's ruler?"

"I owe Emperor Charles no debt… I didn't already pay."

"Do you think you're doing the right thing supporting a tyrant's regime?"

"I don't judge people by methods… only by merits."

"So, you're enabling a regicide who killed the esteemed Emperor of our nation?"

"The king is dead… long live the king."

_Gino sure is spiteful today… I'm super tired from just snooping in._

Around this time was when Kallen truly grew sick of listening to the bickering between what was essentially two siblings. As much as she was quite fond of both Anya and Gino, it was clear there existed an ideological divide between them which wasn't her place to interject. Not to mention, Kallen only agreed to escort her fellow soldier to the detention centre for a lively chat, not to have an entire psychological episode.

"Will you bow down to whoever takes the throne? Anya! No matter who they are or what they've done, as long as they promise you what you want!?"

"I live for myself… I am nobody else's tool."

"-Alright, I'm just gonna like- go now…? I leave the two of you to duke it out and stuff." Finally, at her wit's end, Kallen sighed in admission to her defeat before sneaking out of the prison.

"-Don't you have any sense of integrity!? Why did you even become a Round in the first place!"

"That ambition… was forced upon me by a sovereign already gone. Lelouch was the one who let free my will."

And without even batting an eye for the audience, the two knights continued to argue in a place of their own.

— —

**Author's note**

This chapter probably gave me the most trouble so far, I did a big goof and the whole part with Gino in the cell was suppose to take place later so that's why it frees a bit rushed and not good. My B. Overall, it's just not a very exciting chapter, but sometime it happens. Since Suzaku soloed the Rounds in canon I can't really make him look bad when he's got help this time. But I also can't let Kallen duel Bismarck in the drill machine since I'm pretty sure she won't win. So I subverted the reader's expectations that Kallen will become the Knight of One with bad reading.

I feel like I underutilized Bismarck's character, but no less than canon so just put some Fs in the chat for the literally-sliced-in-half dude. I'll however use more of the two other knights that got one shotted in canon, frees bad for the character designer who put effort into detailing a 'literal who' character.

Am I messing up Kallen's character? I don't think so, I re-watch the show like a lot to study very autistically about every character and their traits and I do some research into not portraying them out of character. But sometime I'll want to write something really dumb and then realize she won't behave that way at all, although she is going through development of her Britannia side that was never really explored in canon so I think I get a free pass to butcher her character.

For the future, I feel like this's where the first arc is halfway done. I actually lied in the title and this story definitely won't just have three arcs, unless we really stretch what defines as an arc. I've been looking at some of the Oz manga, even the raws for O2. Not much to say right now, Marrybell's design is quality, I guess. But if some god-tier weeb out there is super knowledgeable about O2 and can answer some questions for me, please let me know.

To reply to reviews? I honestly don't have anything to say this time. Unironically, I don't want to come off as a dick even though I am a lot of the time, but there's just not much for me to say except thank you to most of the reviews. Like I honestly really appreciate people that leaves me a message and it motivates me to keep reading, actually thankful. But not everything I can start a conversation with, so you know. I guess what I'm saying is flame me if you wanna get my attention.

So yeah, see you guys, bye.

A mistake was corrected by Marche V, thanks man.


	5. Press F to press FFFFFF

**Press F to press FFFFFF**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, recreation centre**

**Two weeks after Lelouch's accession**

"…There's a guy behind that building right there, to your ten."

"I see him."

"Throw a grenade through that second-floor window."

"I'm out."

"Oi- by that hill to the right, he's gonna fire a rocket- nevermind. I mean I did tell you to watch out."

"Can you stop… back-seating me?" Offended, Kallen was taken back in confusion as Anya brushed off her helpful tips for the video game she enjoyed.

"Wow, rude."

"Are you serious?" Anya shot back the most humourless and deadpanned glare Kallen had ever seen.

"Alright, geez, sorry about that. Don't get your panties in a twist." Kallen sarcastically apologized, patted the shorter knight on her shoulder and left her to suffer alone in an intense multiplayer experience.

"We can play together later, not right now."

"Cool, we'll do that."

Kallen casually strolled across the room drastically customized to Anya's whim, everywhere she could perceive was filled with many forms of entertainment throughout the ages and a substantial mess along the floor to go with the clutter. Being careful not to trip over a loose cable or step on some lost pieces of Lego, the bored knight jumped over a long sofa and landed in front of a television broadcasting some show.

"You were this close-" The greedy occupant of the couch gestured with her two fingers nearly touching. "This close to getting a slice of pizza thrown in your face."

"As if you'll ever waste pizza as a projectile."

"…Tch." A busted threat later, C.C shoved Kallen to the side and retrieved the plate of triangular goods from where she almost landed.

"-Want a drink, Kallen?"

"Sure, send it." A can of soda sailed over her head and Kallen barely managed to snatch it before it bounced off the mattress. "…Good aim, Rivalz."

"Sorry." The blue-haired student idly shrugged once and turned his attention back to the airing show.

"Rivalz, I actually wanted to ask. What is it they have you do here?"

"I dunno, Lelouch said he'll make me the official celebration party organizer, but I don't think that's a real position."

"Huh, I guess there are jobs even you can do, the more you know."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!" Rivalz riled up a bit, but otherwise said nothing more.

"What do you think of Lelouch's whole Emperor thing? Not surprised at all?" Kallen ignored his reaction to her offense and asked.

"I'm definitely surprised at first, but then again it kinda makes sense. I mean the guy is like a super genius, what's a claim to the throne added on top of that." The Knight of Ten wiped her lips while musing the Ashford student's answer. It never occurred to her that connections to royalty could be so casually dismissed, but in retrospect, she wasn't the right person to seek opinions on Britannia's line of succession.

"Well, you go have yourself a good time here. It definitely beats being stuck in an empty school."

"Yeah… mostly, except for Milly though." Hearing his melancholy, Kallen nodded in agreement.

"You worry too much, boy. She's an adult now, she has a job and future away from the rest of you." Not sparing the pair a glance from her pizza, C.C. interjected.

"Right, thank you, Miss… Lady… C?"

"Just C.C. is fine, I won't feel antagonized over an abbreviation." C.C. waved one hand leisurely, the other sending another wedge of cheese-covered dodge into the bottomless abyss.

"Miss C.C., sorry please remind me, who are you again?" That question from Rivalz was enough to snare C.C.'s curiosity.

"Let's see… I guess… I'd be his first consort. Out of how many? Who knows?" The reply from the tactless witch threw both Kallen and Rivalz into disarray, albeit for vastly different reasons.

"What-!? Wha-! No! D-don't lie you stupid bloody—! That's my-! I-it's not you, C.C.! I mean that's not who you're to Lelouch at all! Shut your mouth you goddamn—"

"-YES! Yes he did it! Let's go dude~! I knew Lelouch had it in him to land such a hottie! Oh man I gotta tell everybody- hold on I'll be back soon!" The overly-thrilled Rivalz spazzed out in total hysteria and blotted out of the room, his enthusiastic screams still reverberating endlessly in Kallen's ears. "-He's doooone it~!"

"That person… very loud." Anya remarked shortly afterwards, Kallen herself still stuck in perplexing bafflement as her brain calmed her inner frenzy.

"Huh, some people still care about Lelouch despite not knowing all of him, how about that?"

"Did you really do it? Did you really confess to Lelouch? Tell me the truth!"

"No… I'm just joking with you… or pranking you? Is that what we say these days?"

"…You're a bitch." Smirking profusely as she always did, C.C. showered in enjoyment after tricking a gullible Kallen.

Hilariously enough, the red-haired knight wasn't the only one tricked by the witch's blatant deceit. A dozen seconds later, the doors loudly slammed open for a rarely agitated Japanese to rush in, the confusing mannerism on display was a breath of fresh air compared to his usual unfeeling self.

"Is it true!? Did Lelouch really agree to marry you, C.C.!?" The extravagantly clothed pilot interrogated, his mood too distracted by his shock to properly read.

"Take a big, fat guess, Suzaku." Kallen stated as she lounged deeper into the sofa, not willing to give the scenario a dose of seriousness.

Suzaku stared into pure nothingness for quite a while, his sight unfocused and his rationale unclear. Kallen and C.C. were sprawling all over the large couch patiently waiting for a reaction to entertain their mundane hour, whether it was of disappointment or anger it didn't matter much.

"…Kallen, Anya, both of you get dressed, we're leaving." However, Suzaku douses the two bored girls in disappointment when he simply pretended the last one minute was erased from the timeline.

"What a mediocre reaction, I'm not amused."

"Whatever, just forget about her, Suzaku. Where're we going?" Kallen flipped over her cushioned seat as Anya dropped her game to join the group of Rounds standing by the doorway.

"We'll be attending Sir Waldstein's funeral." Kallen curled her eyebrows at the announcement that boggled her mind.

"The guy that you chopped in half three days back? His Knightmare exploded in midair, could they even recover the body? And why are we attending? We killed that freakin…" The hot-blooded Devicer paused her rant when she noticed a despondent Anya timidly backing away from the conversation. "Oh… sorry, Anya. I shouldn't be saying that kinda stuff, that was pretty insensitive."

"Anya, look at me." Suzaku crouched down slightly, bringing his line of sight to the same level as the younger girl. "Sir Bismarck was an enemy to our new Britannia. He was a symbol of the old Emperor's era and would've never welcomed a change for the better. I could not permit him to exist. I won't apologize for what I did, still, you deserve to know."

"It's okay, it's what happens to us." Anya said without malice in her voice.

"I don't want to kill unnecessarily."

_Sure tried your hardest back in Tokyo then._ A dark notion crept up from the corners of Kallen's heart, the scar inflicted by the pink mist of death still throbbed from time to time._ Actually… that's pretty unfair of me, I gave him no choice._

"So then who else is going?" Not super interested in depression, Kallen continued the chat.

"All the Knights of Rounds in Pendragon and a select few of the military Generals Lelouch didn't Geass."

"Are there supposed to be a lot of them?"

"Yes, to both, relatively."

"Alright, I don't hate paying respect. Only the dead know war's end, or something, right?" On that note, the Knight of Six wasn't reluctant to depart either.

"-Wait, I'll also join you guys." A fourth person volunteered unexpectedly. C.C. was already primed to leave when Kallen turned around to shoot her a vague glance.

"You, wanna come? That's just weird."

"You forgot, I lived here with Marianne a long time ago. I knew Bismarck from back then, and he's a… fellow, should I say. I don't dislike him."

"If you really want to, Lelouch can be convinced." Whether Suzaku approved or lacked the apathy to care, C.C. didn't bother to take other's opinion into consideration either way.

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Imperial capital Pendragon, Imperial military cemetery**

"Ready! …Aim! …Fire!"

A volley of blanks fired in union into the imposing blue sky above, a line of rifles held tightly in formation by honour guards of the empire diligently saluting the passing of an unparalleled knight who served the old Britannia. Thus, along with Bismarck Waldstein, another unassailable token of Charles' ear was put to rest.

Nonetheless, despite his rank as the Knight of One and Britannia's former greatest fighter, there was no thundering orchestra to hear or crying next of kin to comfort. Only rows and rows of seated soldiers spectating the moderate ceremony as they waited for their turns to pay their respects one last time before the grave would be lowered into the earth.

Farther away from the solemn ritual, a lone witch remained under the shadows of a giant oak tree, standing inconspicuously and giving off an aura of dullness to anyone who happened to catch a glimpse of her. However, for anything to be considered as worthy of her time was already a marvellous achievement, and C.C was offering a farewell in her unique way.

_Fate sure can be a cruel mistress. Even in death, you'll never meet with Marianne, Bismarck. Don't get too lost in the collective consciousness. _C.C continued to observe from afar, taking note of the events as they came.

The first ones to return from a final visit to the casket were the remaining Knights of Rounds; not included were its newest member, the missing Knight of Nine and the man who put Bismarck where he was days ago. Leading the group was a tall blonde male quickly followed by a darker-toned brunette and a shorter yellow-haired girl. Anya, whose name C.C. actually knew, tried her best to tag along but it was rather obvious from her fellow soldiers' formation that she wasn't very welcomed to join.

"We should've perished with Sir Bismarck… we've failed our only task." Eventually, the trio ditched Anya and just happened to wander by where C.C. was resting, she spun around behind the tree and didn't leave when they started to converse.

"Don't say those things, Dorothea. There was nothing we could've done, the difference in Knightmare potential is too great."

"And I'd have preferred death over disgrace, what's Lelouch planning on doing to us now? Torture us for information? Or publicly execute us to set an example?" The dark-skinned woman was clearly aggravated by her current circumstances, at least C.C. could relate to her desire for death.

"Lelouch won't do things like that, it'll ruin his whole image. All he's been doing is gaining public favour and popularity."

"Yeah, with the Numbers! He's destroying our culture and aristocracy left and right! Nobility is basically just a useless title now with all the restrictions placed on their authority."

"I don't think being able to pay or threaten your way out of court is a justifiable authority to have. And you know they're not called Numbers anymore." The taller guy with some weird braids was the representation of reason in the debate, C.C. could almost remember his name being Gino and his discussion opponent being Dorothea Ernst, Knight of Four.

"You've just made my point, Lelouch's ruining everything Emperor Charles built over his decades of power, and everybody is fine with it. No more ruling classes, no more Numbers, we're just about to become the Chinese Federations or the EU, where the pride of Britannia?"

"You're blowing this way out of proportion. If a bit of justice and equality for the world means the death of Britannia's spirit then perhaps our nation wasn't that stable to begin with. I believe that Lelouch is changing the world for the better, even if he committed regicide to do it."

"How could you become this soft, Gino!? We're the elite of the empire, Knight of Rounds! And you're just letting a usurper have his way with our tradition!? Unbelievable… -and you, Monica! Don't just stand there, back me up!" C.C heard a soft yelp followed by a wave of awkward silence, whoever the angry lady decided to pick on next wasn't a big fan of participation.

"…I've seen Emperor Charles do some questionable things when I was leading his Royal Guards but… he's the Emperor- or was the Emperor, and I'm in no position to question him. Or Lelouch… if nobody can topple his reign."

"…And that's it? You'll just serve whoever's willing to offer you three meals a day? Have you no sense of duty and loyalty, Monica Krushevsky!?" C.C. mentally praised the hostility of Dorothea and her ability at creating conflicts, if nothing else was virtuous about the woman.

"…Shut… UP! Shut up and piss off, Dorothea! I don't need this crap from you, okay!? I-I am just glad to not be in the bloody ground like Bismarck! I enjoy not being dead, is that too ridiculous for you!? Also, I've never agreed to this! Any of this stuff he suggested! I didn't want to see the Prince and Princesses in Cambodia and I didn't want to march on Pendragon! So just fuck off and stop dragging me through all of this bullshit!"

Another moment of silence, this one was infinitely heavier than the last.

"…Moe, sorry we never asked for your thoughts on this entire operation. You don't deserve this… none of us do, really." The voice of Gino was foremost about comforting the desperate knight, a sound sob bounced around the tree and towards C.C.'s ears.

"…It's j-just-! S-she got me! The Percival Devicer got to me, w-when she almost drilled me apart! I didn't think I'd be this- this spineless but I guess… I didn't even know my weakness."

"It's okay, Moe. You did your best, nobody can blame you for what happened. It's people's nature to want to survive and there's nothing wrong with that." Following the noises of ruffled clothing and hoarse snuffles, C.C could preserve the mellower nature of Gino's voice in a new atmosphere as the conversation was steered to a more personal angle.

"Look I… Monica- I… I didn't know that's how you felt—"

"-Save it, Dorothea. I'm not like you …fearless and undaunted. I'm just gonna… keep doing what I've been doing to stay afloat so far. Unlike you, I'll be grateful to Emperor Lelouch for still keeping us alive and letting us even attend this funeral that he decided to hold, for who he sees as an enemy of the State, no less."

The flaring unhappiness of the barely matured Monica was eventually constrained by her dignity and shame. What C.C. heard about her Emperor from the disgraced warriors had also been a cause of nosiness on her mind, and she couldn't exactly pick Lelouch's brain for every meagre idea. Although the most paramount bounty of her eavesdrop was a little comment on meeting princesses, as in plural.

"Listen, Dorothea. I totally empathize with what you're feeling, regarding the new Emperor and this whole case. But the truth is we can't survive on blind loyalty. We've all sworn an oath to our homeland and its ruler, now that only a part of our oath holds true, I think it's time to deem what is it we value most."

"…Gino, not you too…"

"I'm a knight of Britannia and I'll protect and serve her with my life, that is my vow. Emperor Lelouch is improving Britannia in ways I believe is for the better, and that's why if I must, I'll side with him. Of course… I also can't leave Anya alone, since she already made her choice."

"Of course… all you think about is Anya." Bitterness and animosity seeped through Dorothea's tone as she muttered venomously towards Gino.

"You're free to interpret it as you see fit. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go look for her. I think we've neglected her long enough."

"I'll go with you. Plus, if what that… red-haired woman said is true, I partially own it to her for still being here." Monica followed suit, her acceptance of Kallen's savagery was surprisingly swift.

"I think you'll like her… eventually. Kallen isn't even a bad person, really. And she's sorry about what she's done to you, given the circumstances I hope you can forgive her."

"I'll… I'll try, I guess."

Following Gino and Monica's brief planning on discussing what to do next, C.C. clearly distinguished two sets of footsteps pacing away and fabric scraped harshly against the tree's bark before thumping by its trunk. After that, the soft noise of weeping wasn't inquisitive enough to retain her interest, and so the ageless Code wandered back to where Lelouch rested in his shuttle.

— —

"You knew they'd fold under you, Lelouch. That's why you've been so lenient after capturing them to the point of even holding a funeral for Bismarck." Her accusation did absolutely nothing to change the teenage king's mien of tedious deliberation. Seeing her words were useless, C.C reached out with the hand holding a half-eaten slice of pizza and shoved it in Lelouch's face.

"What're you- s-stop it, stop!"

"C'mon boy, eat your veggies." Reluctantly, Lelouch took a bite out of C.C.'s favourite cuisine and somehow managed to chew while keeping the same vexing scowl undisturbed.

"This isn't vegetable, it's bacon and chicken."

"That's what makes you a picky eater." Shooting her an irksome glare, Lelouch leaned across the table they sat at in his luxurious helo and advanced his lips right up to hers, earning himself an exotic peek at C.C.'s face covered in surprise.

However, even though they came immeasurably close to a kiss, the young monarch was cleverly aiming at the last bite of crust hanging off C.C.'s mouth and stole it from right under her nose as he sipped it out through her flossed teeth. The immortal witch watched wordlessly as her king chewed on the chuck of bread coated in her saliva not a second earlier, and mentally admitted defeat to the boy's increasingly effective anti-tease tactics.

"-As I was saying, Gino Weinberg and Monica Krushevsky are most likely willing to work for you, provided that you don't do anything drastic. Dorothea Ernst or whoever is of Charles' mindset and may need a touch of your… correction." Quickly reverting back to the serious topic, C.C. wasn't sure if her normally bleached cheeks were taking on a new shade of red.

"Gino was never opposed to progressive ideas, I could tell from our short time at Ashford. And if the Knight of Twelve is so easily scared, then she'll be even easier to manipulate. As for the Knight of Four… I'll most likely follow your recommendation." Lelouch calmingly restated the facts, but his focus was still lost somewhere else in the abyss that C.C. couldn't pierce.

"And all of this, for the sake of strengthening your righteous new empire. Not wanting to take a few tries with Charles' playbook?"

"Tempting, but I'd like my Empire not to be in shambles by the end of the month. I have to delicately make the changes I need to make without overdoing it and leading to an uproar from the populace, tiring work, honestly."

"No ulterior agenda? How unlike the Emperor of Justice."

"I make enough splashes to keep Suzaku off my heels, but at the same time concerning myself with affairs he doesn't see."

"Regretting teaming up with Britannia's White Reaper?"

"Hardly, but there're times our objectives do not align. He's too hasty in his rush for the end goal, missing the forest for the trees. Villains without proper characters arcs are much harder to sympathize, and then ultimately detest. Besides, it's in poor taste to shatter a temporary period of peace even if it cannot last."

"Are you truly becoming a generous ruler? Or is it yet another ruse I cannot decipher?" C.C. pushed on, both verbally and physically as she tried to climb over the coffee table and into Lelouch's laps.

"I cannot speak of facts I do not know, all that I know is my destination have not changed. Zero Requiem is still my future."

"But it isn't a future you're willing to engrave into someone. It can't be Suzaku, nor can it be Jeremiah… could the person you hold on so tightly in the depths of your heart be… me?" C.C. alluringly scaled her way up Lelouch's body, mounting her legs over his and her chest softly pressed against his own.

"Are you looking for an answer you aren't ready to find?"

"Girls… enjoy being lied to, especially by men who can fool them." Their faces only inches apart, the air within Lelouch's private chamber tuned to the smell of earthly desire.

"I'm tired of lies, mostly yours."

Her golden orbs lingered on for an infinity, lost within Lelouch's lavender irises as his gaze crippled her iron-willed defense. It felt like only yesterday that C.C. sneered at the boy's attempt to ensnare her with his elegant charisma. Yet before she realized, Prince Charming already mastered the art of seduction, taught to him by none other than the witch herself. Even so, C.C. still prospered her womanly appeal brazenly at every opportunity, or else the reality of her dancing in someone else's palm would eventually consume her.

"You're welcome to come search for the truth… right here." C.C. captivatingly undid the restraints of her white gown around her breasts, offering Lelouch a glamorous gander at her flesh underneath.

"Nothing I haven't seen before."

"You can always take a closer look."

"What I can always do… is reject your enticement." Lelouch threatened mischievously, were it not for his grin as he spoke C.C. feared her subconscious need for affection would surface to destroy her guise.

_Curse you Kallen… curse you_. The green-haired witch couldn't grasp the exact second she grew so weak to Lelouch, but the former Black Knight's incitement certainly didn't help.

"You can… but you won't."

"Not for now." As C.C. started her campaign of invading his mouth, Lelouch pressed a few buttons on his armrest presumably locking the doors of his parked shuttle, not that C.C. would flat-out refuse spectators.

— —

"Lelouch… how long has it been since we last unwound like this…?" C.C. whispered her serene words into Lelouch's ear, the earlier ambience of friction and thirst slowly dissipated into oblivion after both accomplices satisfied their bodily desires.

"It has been quite some time. Our lives were rather hectic for a while now, it takes a lot out of me to keep up." The raven-haired tactician replied. C.C. wasn't unnerved by his gentle hands caressing her ravishingly silky locks as she refused to rise from slumping her naked body over his bare chest.

"Will that strain upon you only continue to proliferate?"

"It will, and it must."

"Why must it…? Isn't it enough…? Haven't you done enough for the world?" C.C whipped herself around and sat on Lelouch's lap once more, however its purpose was radically different from when she did the same thing prior.

"No, I still have a role to fulfill, I still haven't given everything I am for Zero Requiem. Until that day comes, I cannot allow myself to rest."

"Lelouch… you'll become a thankless martyr. The world will never learn of your ultimate sacrifice."

"And that's the way it's meant to play out, the world will watch the corruption of power consume a once generous king until all that's left underneath is a merciless tyrant. Once the delusions of a righteous dictatorship are shattered, the cries of the masses will again incite a spark for tomorrow. And again, Zero will be there to answer their call." It was the pinnacle of all scheme which was capable of fooling the entire planet, and only a man of utmost prominence could make it a reality.

"But your name… will forever ring hollow on the tongues of every person who hiss it. And your soul, will forever be condemned by the course of history…"

"That's a price I'm willing to pay, it's the price for my atonement."

"Lelouch… Lelouch… in unparalleled intellect he is to relish, yet he can be so stubborn and vexingly foolish." C.C. rhythmed her phrases in a tone filled with irony and woe, yet the king couldn't offer her words of comfort.

"It's what I must do, it is… my destiny as the man standing above all else, a king of solitude sitting on a throne of thorns."

"Is there… nothing I can say to change your mind?"

"C.C., we've all agreed on this. Please, don't let my preordained demise falter you. If you ask, I'll apologize verbatim about failing to fulfill our contract. But don't stop me now, not when I'm so close." Lelouch uttered, his voice so amazingly pleasant yet his message so ruthlessly cruel.

Swiveling the mask of an uncaring witch comprised of nothing but an endless collection of experience out of her emperor's sight, C.C. ground her sensations of bitterness and sorrow to fine dust as droplets of tears were impeded behind her golden eyes glistening under the soft light. From within her crippling sadness, she found the stark aspiration to savour what little time she has left with her unprecedented contractor, so maybe that would come a day when Lelouch's plan for requiem would receive its own encore.

"You claim to have accepted your predestined fate, but why do I spy someone on the centre of your inner-circle still unaware of her lord's plans?" C.C. reunited herself with her famed smirk as she drove the topic to a destination that stood sensitive to Lelouch.

"She's not ready for the truth, I'll tell her in time."

"Thus, the question becomes who is faster, whether you'll sentence her to a life of misery or she'll capture your heart while it still pounds inside your chest."

"If you think her affection for me will tremble my foundation… well, maybe you're not too far off the mark." Lelouch's confession only widened C.C.'s impish grin.

"You know your own weakness, boy. Consider me humbled."

"That isn't exactly news, I've always been keen about Kallen."

"Well, well… well. To reward your honesty, I'll divulge a plan of hers kept most secret."

"You really don't have to." Lelouch shot his witch a bothered glance that only served to tempt C.C. further into deviation.

"Too late now. Regardless of your wishes, you'll now learn that Kallen plans on confessing her feelings to you on the day you two first met." Letting loose an amused sigh, Lelouch squeezed C.C.'s lovely cheeks with two fingers for her to pretend to be upset.

"I see… it'll be almost two years since that day in Shinjuku, where our destiny began. Do you find her timing ironic?"

"It's almost tragic she has no idea we've known each other for just as long. Even more so that she's decided to share her plan with a most nefarious woman like myself, you won't catch me stopping my enemies when they're making a mistake."

"…C.C., I…"

"I will not hesitate. Lelouch, do you remember when I said that Geass was the power of kings which would condemn you to a life of solitude?" Even if the young ruler wasn't taken aback by his knight's endearment, the ageless immortal had another trick up her sleeves that was sure to garner some feedback.

"Are you here to tell me it's not quite correct?"

"I'm telling you… I straight up lied. Because I love you, more than anything in the world, more than you can ever imagine. And that has been the only truth within me I can rely on over the thousands of years of accumulated experience. I hereby confess I seek nothing more than a life of intimacy with you, where I no longer have to be by my lonesome in the flow of time. So please answer me truthfully, how do you feel about me?"

— —

**Author's note**

Wow, check out this sick rating change, not rated T anymore is it? Guess that means I can say the N-word all I want. I'm not totally sure if this chapter warrens a M rating quite yet, but being for mature audiences only will let me write more leisurely about all the ideas I have to put down. And everyone that reads this shitty story is now officially a big boy, congratulations.

I've heard many people say Lelouch's Zero Requiem isn't a good plan in canon and won't really work, and I somewhat agree with that. It depends on what he's trying to achieve, not just world peace, but also letting people move on from harbouring their hatred. Although I believe people will always have something to hate, it's impossible to evolve human beans beyond what we are. So I dunno wanna pretend to totally understand the philosophy behind it, but it's something that will alter over the course of the story. Not really a spoiler, but I don't got the balls to have Lelouch die at the end of the story, or I don't think I do.

I hope C.C.'s confession didn't come off as too OOC, writing C.C. is honestly difficult, like the second most difficult after Lelouch. (it's why I never take his PoV and probably won't ever, I don't wanna embarrass myself writing someone much smarter than me.) Because I can't really put myself in the mindset of someone who's over five hundred years old and died about as many times. In canon C.C. is mostly depressed at the end of R2 for good reasons, so I'm hoping that the changes in this story also alters her perspective on how Lelouch's mind can be changed.

I'm having some trouble pacing this story, to be honest. I feel like it's going kinda slow? Unless it's too fast? I have a roadmap roughly planned out in my head, but I'm too lazy to write it down so I often forget the details of what I want to write. I also go off on tangent writing down sudden ideas I have, it's kinda obvious when that happens, I think. I write detailed snaps of events happening that moves the plot forward and jumps to when it's next relevant to see the story, it's kinda a style of you can call it that.

For replying to reviews.

For bob115 talking about not adding the spinoff characters: Sorry dude but I'm gonna have to not do that, I like the cast for Akito and Oz. They're pretty chill. Also, I need to have a source of conflict or at least story progression to expand the time period between Lelouch becoming emperor and the literal finale so I think having other characters appear is kinda my cheat way of continuing to write an alright story without it getting too boring. Of course, actual good writers can probably make it interesting with just the main cast, but that ain't me now, is it?

So that's that. Next chapter will have some more stuff happen in it, I think it'll have a scene in Japan with Milly, or that's the chapter after that one. If you liked the story enough, leave a review. I won't seriously ask for them, but I'd like some opinions on the current state of this story, to kinda gauge audience interest and expectations. I'm always open to suggestions and corrections if you spot a low-IQ moment in the story or the grammar.

Thanks bye.


	6. Yeah, the name is Anon

**Yeah, the name is Anon**

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Emperor's private quarters**

**Three weeks after Lelouch's accession**

"—Hello everybody! This is Milly Ashford from KT-TV welcoming you to this special episode of 'Milly's festive council'! And today we have a truly special guest gracing us with his mighty- or should I say, majestic appearance? It's my pleasure to welcome to the stage, the only man under the sun who can proudly put on his resume that the reason he didn't graduate high school is because…! He's too busy governing an Empire! I present to you, the ninety-ninth Emperor of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia!"

Thus, the crowd composed of both Britannians and Japanese alike cheered over the high-beat jazz music for the young king to walk onto the stage from the left, making his Ashford Academy uniform looking fabulous all the meanwhile. Lelouch presented himself to the masses unequivocally spectacularly, befitting his title as a benevolent monarch with elegance in every step and a poised grin never far from his lips. The only time he stopped waving to the audience was when Milly cheerfully jogged over to embrace him in an affable hug.

"—Woah! The people really love you, don't they, Emperor Lelouch?" Milly tried her best to project her voice louder than the high-spirited clamour of the viewers, and soon they calmed down from seeing the one and only Britannia Emperor in person.

"—And I too love them, or if that's too personal, I truly appreciate the people of the world. Everyone, thank you all very much for your support!" Lelouch's esteem for his subjects only served to amplify their shouts even louder. "—But now, please. Let's respect Milly's program so we can continue the show."

When Lelouch politely requested quietness, the entire studio almost instantaneously fell into a wonderstruck trance. "—Hoho, now how about that… you just have to ask, wish I've known that, would've made my life much easier."

"—I guess it comes with the job." Of course, the fortunate spectators laughed brightly.

C.C. continued to watch the images scrolling past on her TV, broadcasting the friendly chatty banter Lelouch and Milly were partaking in halfway across the globe. Herself was tugged away under her heavy blankets with pizza boxes stacked up to the ceiling. Thinking back, the Code bearer had endured such a lifestyle for close to two weeks now, her only goal was to propagate a movement with herself as the only follower.

"—Well, you've sure been busy these days, haven't you, Lelouch?"

"—Quite true, I've been running ragged around the seven continents. Going from the Chinese Federation to the EU, back to Britannia and now here in Japan, I probably spent more than half of my time in the sky than on the ground."

"—If it's not too big of a state secret, Mister Emperor, mind telling us what you've been doing?"

Sending another slice of pizza to the bottomless abyss while amending Cheese-kun for her massacre of his people by letting the plushie nestle against her butt, C.C. mindlessly listened to Lelouch speak about his recent ventures in the pursuit of an imposing empire. Going from greeting some important figures in China to greeting some other important, albeit different figures in Europe, none of which piqued a speck of interest from the inattentive witch. Not even signing a peace treaty with the UFN was worth a spot in C.C.'s memories, since if it wasn't for that Lelouch would still be around for her to tease.

All except one subject caught her ears, it was an issue Lelouch barely got to discussed before Milly derailed their topic in favour of gossiping about his potential consorts. There was a short but precise reference to the first successful F.L.E.I.J.A. detonation test at the Dallas Research Institute, a supposedly high-classified event almost no one was meant to know. For the teenage Emperor to so casually let slip such a bombshell was no doubt part of a greater design as short lived as the announcement was.

"Ohhh, Lelouch… look at him go. Already so grown up and mature. It feels like only yesterday he started wearing that silly mask and swore vengeance towards Charles. Too bad for you, Marianne, you never got to laugh at the irony of being killed by your son who's only had the chance because he wanted to avenge you in the first place… and I'll laugh at it, thank you very much."

"-Although you aren't particularly laughing yourself." As the manifestation of stealth, a man's daunting voice spooked C.C. when the phantom-like Suzaku spoke from behind her. His feet brought him through the door but advancing any further had proven to be problematic thanks to the vast array of hindrances littering the floor.

"Doorbells, what do they do?"

"Did you have a pleasant time holding up in your room for two weeks, C.C.? I've actually been looking for you." As per usual, Suzaku's complete lack of humour made it too plodding even for C.C. to mock.

"Can't you let me wallow in my own misery without being bothered?"

"It's a mess in here; when's the last time you went outside?"

"Now I think about it, how did you get in here? My door is locked."

"Were you really talking to the Empress? Was her soul absorbed into the Collective Consciousness or completely destroyed?"

That was how normal interaction with Suzaku was like some days. More often than not, absolute circumvention was their preferred method of dialogue were the two to meet at a chance encounter, for the rare few times when the pair actually had to converse, their speeches just blew each other by and their messages never reached its recipient.

"That's enough. You came to me, Kururugi Suzaku. Ask me one question and you shall receive an answer." C.C. however, didn't promise anything about being truthful.

"Why are you depressed, C.C.? You, of all people." To her genuine intrigue, Suzaku was most concerned about her state of being.

"Lelouch… he dumped me."

"You two were together?"

"Ouch… rude." Hearing his lack of retort, C.C. was certain there was not a single funny bone in Suzaku's body.

"Well, don't hold up in here forever. He'll need you eventually."

"Won't you at least ask why?"

"…Do you want to talk about it? I might not be the best pick, so you know." C.C. contemplated his words fleetingly before not caring too much about whoever was imprudent enough to listen to her rant.

"If I recall correctly, the first time we had sex was after—"

"-I immediately regret this." C.C. sarcastically chuckled at Suzaku's accidental joke.

"I'm only half-kidding. We've engaged in… each other many times over the last year, but it was always only physical, we've never made the final commitment. We remained as partners in crime, accomplices tied by a contract, the demon and the witch…"

"Until one day you realized what you felt towards him was more than the corporeal craving."

"I wonder… if it's truly that simple. Even after thousands of years and countless lives, am I still a young maiden at heart, fluttering every step in front of a dreamy youth? Do I not hold the key to my own soul?"

"Maybe you only feel this way because you wanted him to have that key." Suzaku quietly commented, more insightful than C.C. ever considered crediting him for.

"But now… it has been returned to sender, and I sit here with a sealed envelope that never reached its destination." To the pure absurdity of her situation, C.C. couldn't help but giggle scornfully at her idiotic self.

"What was it he said that stopped even someone like you?"

"There was never a reason given for my rejection… how ridiculous, I'd have accepted any excuse he devised. Call me inhumane, call me dispassionate, call me apathetic or even call me repulsive. Yet there was nothing to shift the blame onto my dejection, truly maddening… how I've allowed myself to become a woman of weakness such as this."

"Yeah… it's terrible for you to experience a flood of emotions, almost make you seem too human." The Knight of Zero appeared to wish her harm with his vicious words on paper, but C.C. could separate Suzaku's poor usage of sarcasm from his truly callous attitude.

"Will I make a desirable lover had I been born hundreds of years later? Or should I have drawn him in months earlier?"

"Lelouch will never hate you for who you are, he'd never done anything with you if it's not the case. You were just a tad bit too slow, Kallen came through first, it's not your fault."

And so, what she presumed to be the culprit was vindicated by Suzaku's confirmation. The who or what barely mattered at the depth which C.C.'s heart found itself dwelling, as long as someone provided a rationale no matter how frail it was, she would latch onto it to save herself from the everlasting heartbreak.

"That's bullshit… but I'll believe it."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, if you're even bothered by one rejection, that is. I can't imagine Kallen being the one to stop you dead in your tracks, maybe you were never that dedicated in the first place." True to his claim C.C. also believed she had allowed Lelouch's denial to bother her for too long. From the perspective of an ageless hex such as herself, it was never too late to cook another insidious ploy on her burners.

"You know… you say some wise stuff from time to time, Suzaku. I am indeed the unfeeling witch, unbound by time itself. I have eternity at the tips of my fingers, what is another couple of months in an ocean of millenniums if that's what it takes to get what I want?" C.C. nearly surprised herself with how fast she found the incentive to continue. But then again, she was C.C., when did she ever let someone else stop her from taking what she wanted.

"I hope for your triumph, but must remind you the time left is short. Lelouch… has his own agenda that he chases after." As Suzaku stepped forward overcoming the clutter polluting C.C.'s dorm, she knew he was ready to reveal his objective for this uncalled-for visit.

"And you're here… because you want something from me."

"Lelouch said that I must be the one to purge his weakness were he ever to grow inadequate, so I will. Even at the cost of stepping into madness." Maybe C.C.'s previous judgment of the Japanese boy was misleading. As it turned out, he did have ways of encouraging a smile to surface on her face.

"Well, colour me shocked. I never thought a day would come when you, out of every single person on this earth, would come to me thinking of uttering what you have in mind, Kururugi Suzaku." The undying Code bearer couldn't contain herself from the spreading the immoral smirk from ear to ear.

"C.C., give me a Geass. I'll only ask once."

**Milly Ashford, KT-TV newscaster**

**Japan, Ashford Academy, KT-TV Studio (temporary)**

As Milly struggled to clip her bra straps behind her back, a couple of pages in her binder slipped out from her locker and plunged into a small clutter on the floor of the changing room. A frustrated pout took shape over the young anchorwoman and part-time TV host, seething at the collapse of not just her pages, but also parts of her daily routine.

"Gosh darn, Lelouch! I normally just read the headlines, how could you thrust this onto me!" Milly shuddered at the mere thought of interviewing the newest Emperor to the Britannia throne even after the program had already concluded. Not to downplay her recognition, she performed her absolute best in the role of an entertaining interviewer that the teenaged monarch appointed by name. So, after her work hours were done, Milly finally found the time to complain a little about her restless life.

_But at least you're doing what you've always wanted to do, right?_ Milly worded a monologue inside her own head, admitting to herself that the extra workload Lelouch dumped on her following his ascension was all imperative for the fruition of the ambitious student's dream.

"Weelp! Guess it can't be helped, maybe I'll eventually branch out to nighttime show host, why not." Milly bent down to retrieve her fallen papers, collecting them in a neat pile and rose back to standing upright.

That was when she saw something startling through the mirror glued to her locker, something else was standing behind her seeped in an ominous aura.

"Eep-! …Y-you shouldn't be here! This's a private dormitory, I need you to vacate immediately!" Milly summoned her courage as the ex-Student Council president to inform the uninvited guest of their intrusion. However, after turning around and taking a closer look, it became obvious the trespasser was a member of Britannia's Knight of Rounds." S-sorry, but you still can't be here, Dame…"

There shouldn't be anything preventing the cloaked knight from interpreting Milly's notice, yet the visually feminine figure only trekked closer to the blonde with every step trod in her boots. Moreover, her appearance was entirely hidden from view as a hood covered her hair and a white mask shielded her face.

"S-stop! Don't come any- any closer!" Milly shouted another warning as she lost control over the shiver in her voice. If the frightful girl under siege was in the condition to act more observant, she would have realized the smiling mask depicted with red cheeks, two upwards moustaches and a thinly pointed beard worn by the invader was a symbol of a historic revolt.

From under the menacing red and black cape a single right hand reached out. Frozen by the fear of imminent violence or worse, Milly only just grasped she was still in a state of undress. A lonely piece of clothing was covering her chest and short trousers hugged her thighs but nothing else.

"Just what're you-!" Powerless to stop the invader, Milly shut her eyes to in preparation for the inevitable, whatever it might be.

And she remained willfully blind for a dozen seconds until she felt her breasts being groped.

"Damn, still bigger than mine." The first remark her molester couched in perfect English instantly gave away her identity.

"Oh… my god… oh-my-god! Kallen! What the hell are you up to scaring the crap outta me like that, girl!?"

"Aha, can't say I didn't get you now, Milly."

"…Sure, sure. You got me… now can you please take off that weird mask?" Relishing in her one victory over Milly, Kallen giggled a bit longer before removing her disguise. She pulled back the red hood attached to her cape and slide her refined plastic mask to the side of her face.

"Did you miss me, President?" Kallen flickered her crimson hair into the air and let it rest behind her shoulders. Milly took note of just how long the redhead's locks had grown when she straightened it out.

"I sure did, Kallen! We didn't get to catch up the last time you visited, after all!" Having already forgiven the esteemed pilot, Milly clasped her old friend into a fraternal bear hug.

"Ow, ow, ow… okay, I missed you too, Milly. Sorry I was in such a hurry last time, I had to re-establish the OSI facilities in Japan and track down Nina without alerting the Black Knights to my mission. It was a right mess, honestly. You won't believe how much red tapes there're for anyone not ranked Knight of One or higher."

"Yeah…I obviously don't know too much about what you're going through, but I see that it's all tough work." Kallen chuckled some more and nodded in agreement. Milly wasn't sure if her radical change of factions had anything to do with the complicity of her situation. "Although is it better than when you're with the Black Knights? -Oh, I'm not pressuring you if it's a touchy topic, of course."

"Errr… I've gotten over that now. They were my friends, still are, I think. But they killed Zero's future, and our visions are just too contrasting for us to keep working together. So I follow Lelouch under my Britannian name now… don't really want to dive too deep into this though, I'm still a bit complex about it." Milly patted the half-blood on the forearm, trying to ignore how superbly snuggly her uniform was.

"Hold on, so Zero didn't die from his injuries and was killed by his men instead?"

"No, he's not dead- I mean the identity is, but the man is fine." It took all of half a second for Milly to put two and two together.

"Wait a minute…! So Lelouch is Zero—" Abruptly, but perhaps not unpredictably, Kallen rushed Milly and hushed her mouth with her gloved palm.

"-Balalalala-! Don't randomly say stuff like that, Milly! Unless you wanna commit suicide with two bullet holes to the back of your… head…" Once the apprehension of her joke's consequence struck her, Kallen found her previous expression of gleeful surprise drained away all too quickly. "Sorry… that was my fault, I shouldn't have made a… sorry."

"It's okay… we've grieved for her already… anyway, is it true?" Milly's heart had been devastated by Shirley's death many times. She didn't find it so revitalizing to revisit a past tragedy.

"Yes, but keep it a secret please. You know, I'm starting to see why my standing can't be made public, anyone that knows me well will make the same guess."

"That's why you wear the mask? I mean- I guess it works, it does look pretty intimidating. But Guy Fawkes…? Actually, I can see how it's pretty relevant to who you're. Oh, Kallen you're such a clever little ex-terrorist!" Milly happily exclaimed, her fingers soothingly scanning the surface of Kallen's disguise.

"Who's Guy Fawkes?"

"Pardon, come again?"

"Who's Guy Fawkes?"

"Who's- you! You are! You're wearing his mask, Kallen."

"This mask? I thought it's from a movie. Well, Lelouch did make it for me and told me it's to be my façade as the Knight of Ten, it's pretty comfy so I don't really mind. Does this mask have a story or something?" Milly wasn't sure whether to laugh or pity the clueless girl. It was rather comical for her to have no idea what symbol she donned, but also a bit saddening to realize that Kallen's life had been made up mostly of grim years.

"Hmph… well, you are indeed missing the top hat, but that's alright. You still have all the time you need to have fun, girlfriend. In fact…"

— —

"Really? So the one that jumped twenty feet into the air and called the cosplay club gay wasn't Lelouch?"

"Definitely not, I think it was that maid Lelouch had with him, what's her name again?"

"Must be Sayoko. I see, it does make sense now. If Lelouch is doing his whole revolution thing but still want to be inconspicuous." Milly sipped her tea as she listened to the tales of Zero's exploit for a source any news outlet would kill to acquire, the scale of her scoop was incredibly insurmountable if only Kallen didn't lead a triple lifestyle.

The two former classmates sat by a secluded teahouse outside the TV studio where Lelouch shared his interview an hour earlier, drinking expensively elegant tea and reminiscing about the good days gone. Kallen, who Milly still had trouble envisioning as the Knight of Ten was on standby until her liege was satisfied with his visit to Japan and wished to depart. Until then, they had ample amount of time to share a friendly chit-chat.

"You sure you don't want to come with us, Milly? I can easily arrange any job you want at Pendragon. You can even live in the Imperial Palace with the rest of our classmates."

"Hehe… you sure have attuned to the Britannia way, huh? Thanks for the offer, but I'll decline, at least for now. My grandfather still needs me here, if anything happens, I'll have to take care of the school once it's fixed. Besides, if Lelouch ever remembers to restore my family status, we can officially return as nobles to the homeland."

"That's wonderful, Milly. I'll be sure to remind him about that. Nobility isn't the affluent and prosperous title it used to be, but it's still something, right?"

Milly pasted a smile in response to Kallen's jolly comment. Her thoughts naturally drifted to how the Black Knight's best and brightest ace pilot fighting under the flag of freedom and equality for all so casually turned a deaf ear to her jab about becoming the very image she sought to destroy not half a year ago, even suggesting to use her influence to carve out a shortcut.

_Kallen… I really hope this is what you want, or else you'll only be hurting yourself._ Milly sent a wish from the bottom of her heart for the future that Kallen was constructing to be one she truly wanted to live in. "By the way, I just remembered this. Rivalz called me a couple of weeks ago, apparently Lelouch is married already? To a green-haired hottie, he said?"

"Oh… that… look, it's—" An untimely ring of Kallen's phone spoiled Milly's opportunity at procuring some of that juicy gossip she longed for. "Sorry, this's work-related, I've to take it."

"No, no. Go right ahead." So Kallen did, on a somewhat fancy touch-screen phone painted entirely in red.

"-Go for Q-1. …Everybody knows His Majesty, that's what— …who? A ninja-maid… oh shit, copy that I'm on my way. Have Lord Gottwald secure the VIP and inform His Majesty! …What-? Jesus, Monica, it's Orange man, with the cyborg eye thing! …Okay, yeah-yeah, provide medical care if necessary, I'm coming right now." Then Kallen hung up, her preceding carefree mood blasted away by the call of duty.

"Did I hear something about Sayoko?"

"Yeah, she was trying to see Lelouch but was stopped at the gates, let's go." Slamming a handful of change down by her teapot, Kallen swathed herself under her grandiose cloak and adjusted her mask to fit over her features.

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

"I've… I've f-failed you, M-Master Lelouch… I'm undeserving of your care."

"Grotesquely Exaggerated, Sayoko. You've done your very best in service of me." Lelouch gently kneaded Sayoko's fingers as he sat with dedicated discretion by her medical bed aboard the Emperor's VTOL shuttle.

"There were two escape crafts that night during the battle, I was caught on board trying to rescue Lady Nunnally and couldn't stop it from departing. I only managed to escape later without Lady Nunnally. Right now… I presume Schneizel has her captured…" through her ragged breath, Sayoko squeezed out new revelations about Lelouch's dear sister once assumed gone.

"Yes… defeat comes for us all eventually, don't be too stressed over it. Rest and recover, Sayoko, I still have uses for you yet."

"…Understood, Master." The ninja-maid weakly connected her gaze to her lord, saying nothing more after she pulled the blanket further up her bandaged body.

"Jeremiah, I trust Sayoko in your care. If her condition worsens, you have my permission to take this shuttle to a suitable medical facility for treatment." Lelouch addressed his commander General next, the cyborg Margrave immediately saluted in an upstanding posture.

"Yes, Your Majesty! We're ready to depart at any time, by your orders."

"Excellent, I have some remaining business to conclude, but as long as nothing else interferes don't expect to stay overnight." Thus, Lelouch waved off his security guards and walked down the ramp of his personal jet with Kallen following closely behind.

"Lulu- sorry- I mean Your Majesty, I-is she alright? Is Sayoko…" The first to rush Britannia's mightiest was his long-time friend, Milly. She was stopped from entering the VTOL and had to put up with waiting anxiously outside.

"Yeah, she's been wounded by gunfire but she'll recover."

"Okay… thank God it's nothing too bad. Well, getting shot isn't super pretty… our standard for what is badly wounded sure is changing these days" Milly said quietly, tagging along with the two of them to wherever Lelouch headed for.

"You don't seem very surprised about Nunnally's survival, why is that?" After following the royalty dressed in white back to the school, Kallen posed a question of her own once she confirmed there were no nearby eavesdroppers.

"I've already known. Suzaku told me, then C.C. told me, and Gino also told me before I left Pendragon two days ago. Nunnally… allied herself with Schneizel in Cambodia, it is… something she decided to do for herself." Mirroring Milly's dumbfounded expression, Kallen also never believed something so inconceivable could be true.

"Then- then we need to rescue her immediately! We can despatch a strike force down there in half a day's time!" Kallen marched a step ahead to focus Lelouch's attention as she announced her strategy, but his radiant purple eyes were drowning in seclusion and reverie, not remedy.

"And lose them to Schneizel's F.L.E.I.J.A.? Keep yourself rational, Kallen. I'd have considered many scenarios of recusing her, none would pan out in victory for me." Heeding her liege's warning, the agitated knight back down and realized her impulsiveness. "I cannot launch an attack with F.L.E.I.J.A., at the same time I cannot launch one without it. Moving in on him now will only expose my knowledge of Nunnally's survival."

"And if he knows that you know Nunnally is with him…"

"Then there will be nothing stopping Schneizel from activating Damocles with her aboard, meaning I'd lose my only check of keeping the fortress at bay. Right now, doing nothing and feinting ignorance is my method of keeping this impasse. It's not a favourable solution, but it'll have to do." Lelouch mused, still deep in thought when he unknowingly reached the clubhouse that used to be his old habitat.

"Ooooh, so that's why you talked about the F.L.E.I.J.A. while we were on air. I was thinking back then that it's super weird for you to bring up a military secret." Milly charmed in casually. Her lighthearted attitude was an obvious motivation for the rest of her friends to turn their frowns upside down.

"It was so, I'm sure Schneizel would've heard of that news somewhere or another. Technically he could strike Pendragon right now and contact me to let me know Nunnally is alive, but the possibility of me ignoring him and blow him out of the sky still exists. It's not a risk he will take."

"Then… what about Nunnally? Don't you… you know? Wanna see her?" Kallen pressed on.

"I do. However, unfortunate as it is, she's at her safest with Schneizel right now. Besides… when Gino and friends took the order to take us down, they explicitly received Nunnally's blessing as a princess. She's all grown up now, I'll let her decide for herself what she wants to do."

"I see… it's not my place to question your decisions, especially when it comes to Nunnally."

"For that, I am thankful, Kallen. Please, don't let it worry you. I'm doing everything in my power to better the world, and everyone's lives." Sensing the serious atmosphere was at an end, the intuitive girl seized the opportunity to press a separate attack.

"Then, if you're really sure it isn't bothering you, there is something I really wanna do before we head back home. Of course, unless Your Majesty actually can't let himself have some R&R and wants to overwork instead." Her playful plea rinsed a short laugh out of Lelouch.

"Yes, dear Kallen, if you so insist. No use worrying about aspects of fate we have no control over." The young ruler's hearty smile was copied onto Kallen's own demeanour as she wrapped herself around his right arm.

"Then… you wouldn't mind hanging out with me tonight, Lelouch? There're some things I want to do."

"I suppose I have some gaps in my schedule to accompany you for leisure, as long as it stands reasonable."

"Perfect, wonderful! -Milly, if you would do the honours." Replying in her signature smirk, the club president tugged Lelouch away and Kallen willingly let go.

"Allll-ready then! Your emperor look is very majestic and such, but we can't really have you run around outside in this absurd garb, let's give you a more… citizen makeover."

"Wait, wait, I do actually have something I want to try."

"Ooh, you're gonna get to try it, alright. I assure you, Your Majesty." Lelouch wouldn't find out whether Milly was willing to show mercy to her dress-up victim until it was all over. For the time being, he was powerless to stop the stubborn blonde from dragging him away.

With her masterful plan coming together piece by piece, there was only the last bit of preparation to complete before Kallen was ready for a good time on the anniversary of the masked revolutionist's birth.

"—Q-1 to Monica, confirm." Kallen speed-dialled the number of the woman who served as the head of Lelouch's Royal Guard, how she wasn't fired from that position after she failed the same task for the previous emperor wasn't bothering the Knight of Ten at the moment.

"—Confirmed, what do you need, Kallen?" If the victim of the red-tinted Devicer's violent disarmament over Pendragon was still traumatized by her fearsome antics, the pale pilot didn't let it show over their cell phone transmission.

"—His Majesty and I will be travelling discreetly for the rest of today until… tomorrow morning, then we'll return to the capital. Visual confirmation might be difficult, so have a couple of teams track me on my mobile beacon. Keep out of sight, though, it's a private affair."

"—Private…? Nevermind, understood."

"—Also, did you find that motorbike I was looking for? The blue one with the sidecar, I kinda need it."

— —

**Author's note**

Inb4 "there's no way V for Vendetta could've existed in the CG universe!" Dude, you're so right, but let me indulge in this rereferral humour, also known as the lowest-tier of comedy for a brainless trend-chasing normie such as myself. I hope this kind of fourth-wall tapping jokes are still tasteful and doesn't turn off too much people, because it's so weirdly intriguing to me I don't think I can stop.

Kallen wearing a mask will have more plot-related relevance beyond the reasons in this chapter, although it being a Guy Fawkes mask will only have one more not-super-important importance. If you wanna visualize how she wears it to the side of her head, I was thinking it something like that one Touhou character with the mask. (Don't actually me, I seen some art of her, like once.)

This chapter is kinda short and ended at a weird spot, so I'll try to upload another chapter soon, and by soon I mean in the range of about a week to never updating ever again. Although I do have a pretty big stockpile of stuff already written down that's the same length as what I have uploaded so far, so it's going pretty alright.

A lot of CG fanfics do the 'redo the plot but with future knowledge thing', but almost all of them, good or bad are kinda all dead. I think it's mostly because when the scale of a story is so wide it's hard to find the motivation to continue without an ending in sight, that's why I chose not to write that even though it was my first idea even before seeing the catalogue. And with this story I do have almost the whole plot planned out, with how many major arcs and conflicts there will be. Hopefully I don't lose the drive to keep writing and leave the people that actually enjoy this story to hang.

Speaking of plot, I'm really bothered by how Schneizel didn't nuke Pendragon when Lelouch was there. Maybe I missed something, but if he wanted to just kill him, why do it at the exact moment Lelouch is in Japan? Probably just plot contrivance, not like I lack my share of those in here.

I hope everyone likes reading my absolute aimless rambling at the end of every chapter, a solid jumbled mess this is.

I am not super desperate for someone to beta this story for me, but I definitely won't turn down anyone's offer if they're interested. I certainly would like to run a rough draft through someone who's knowledgeable about all them English words and get some feedback to write gooder.

For replying to reviews, I don't really have anything to say this time either. Not that I'm not grateful to everyone that does leave a review, I am. I guess there's not really a lot of content to bite into each chapter since they're kinda short to leave a significant impression, and that's just how it is. I won't pretend I don't like it when you cool kids stroke my ego, but it's kinda like YouTube comments where it's actually hard to write one if you can't think of anything to write.

I feel like I ranted about something similar last time too, but it's hard to pat out every chapter to five thousand words.


	7. Don't stop me now

**Don't stop me now**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Japan, outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement**

**Two years since Lelouch's rebellion**

"I seriously can't believe this is the first place you want to visit."

"As opposed to what? Most memorials to Zero's miracles are gone, and I don't consider it unfortunate. I suppose Shinjuku's reconstruction is almost done, maybe we can go there next time." Lelouch said, chewing on the last bit of his baguette sandwich before taking off his goggles.

"Yeah… but here is…" Kallen couldn't find a suitable description to satisfy her unease, all she understood was this wasn't how she imagined a night out with her admired commander would turn out.

Kallen pulled the motorbike keys from the ignition, letting loose her flaming hair from the constraints of the greyish helmet before flailing it behind her in a rather dramatic manner. The pressure from her safety headgear had deteriorated away some part of her overelaborate coiffure which Milly insisted was an undetectable work of art, but the young girl herself wasn't so confident that combining all of her hair to one side in a poor man's attempt at a mohawk could camouflage her identifiable looks from the many Black Knight posters.

"What's so terrible about commercial buildings? It's a centre for communities across the city to connect. And this isn't the same as the one that got dropped on the previous Viceroy… what was his name again?"

"…What was his name? I can't remember either, whatever, not that important. Continue."

"Yes, like I said. It's quite impressive they rebuilt a skyscraper in just a year, more so that they just decided to still call it the Babel Tower. If only the people of Genesis had the same dedication to just try again." Kallen only shook her head listening to Lelouch ramble about whatever fancied his mind, she almost fell to the temptation of closing the elevator doors on him after the two exited the underground parking lot.

"Lelouch, you're doing a bang-up job sabotaging this date, I just want you to know."

"You humble me with your appraisal, Miss Mercury… now if only you'd be so kind as to use my alias." Suddenly, an urge to throw her companion through the elevator glass windows and down twenty floors spiked to the top of Kallen's compulsion.

"Sure, buddy… sure. Anything for the Imperial Military Advisor appointed by Emperor Lelouch himself, Lord Julius Kingsley." Then Kallen took an aesthetic bow only befitting the escort of the smartest man in all of Britannia, her response was enough to invite in a sulky Lelouch who turned his glance to hide his slight embarrassment.

"…You're not making this any easier for me, Kallen. Please don't ruin this."

"What? You mean Morgen, obviously. That's my name, is it not?"

"Don't act this way, we both agreed." Lelouch deadpanned his request sincerely, reluctantly convincing Kallen to play along with the imposter dressed in a ridiculously designed jacket over his an equally outrageous dress shirt and pants he dared to call business casual.

All in black, obviously.

_Milly, this isn't what we agreed to at all, you dumb bimbo. What part of this dress-up looks civilian to you?_ It was apparent that Milly couldn't resist Lelouch's recommendation of clothing him in the most outlandish uniform just shy of his Imperial self, even going as far as letting him wear an insane eye-patch-mask thing that covered the entire left side of his face. As for appearing incognito, she just pushed back his long bangs and sprayed some hair gel, calling it a day.

With everything said, the tall handsome gentleman who stood before Kallen leaning against the railing and shooting an inexplicable smile towards the horizon certainly didn't resemble Britannia's new Emperor. His loyal knight could attest to the makeover's quality of transforming Lelouch's appearance to someone familiar after a good study but alien at a glance, it was her hope that most commoners wouldn't dare to step too close to the imposing tactician.

"Okay, so before I break my character and probably my neck, at least explain to me how you came up with my alias."

"I fear its too immature of a pun for me to share, don't trouble yourself making undeserving comparisons. You'll always be the queen for me, Q-1. Above all else who may contest against your prowess and beauty." Hearing Lelouch spew such venerate flattery unflinchingly dyed Kallen's cheeks hot red and made her a blushing mess. She hazardously stuck her hands over the young lord's face to distort his singular vision, who only chuckled instead of putting up a fight.

"Alright… smart guy, I think I kinda get it. You don't have to kiss up to me so hard."

"Nonsense, tonight you'll be my partner in luxury. We're professionals taking a restful break from the mundane tasks of employment." Kallen was starting to notice many of her reactions to Julius Kingsley mainly involved shaking her head.

_Well… if nothing else, I'm glad Lelouch is having fun in his own weird egomaniac way._

Soon, the elevator reached its destination, opened the metal doors and welcomed the two Britannians into a world of convivial yet carnal pleasure. Surrounding them were what Kallen used to see as irrefutable evidence of the empire's corruption and oppression. However, it was perhaps thanks to Lelouch's reformation or her own selfish bias, the Knight of Ten no longer saw the little harm coming from a bit of guilty relaxation as sinful.

"Miss Mercury, take a gander around you and place your bets. How many of these people are Britannia and how many are Japanese?"

"I suppose it's roughly one-third Japanese, Sir Kingsley."

"And your standpoint on that percentage?"

"Not… balanced enough, I must admit. Nevertheless, it could be much lower in either direction were things to turn out differently." In some twisted ways, Kallen wasn't sure how she would feel had the USJ decided to exercise more of their muscle and authority as a newly founded nation by taking vengeance on the population that used to oppress their own.

"Then how much of those people you suppose will make an adequate opponent for me?"

"You might've made the selection pool too narrow with that one." Unless Lelouch planned on totally playing Kingsley as an absolute fool, Kallen didn't think he would hold back about gloating his superb ability to move wooden or metal shaped pieces from one box on a board to another box on the same board.

Henceforth, the duo wandered aimlessly into a flood of the casino's patrons. Witnessing an almost beastly indulgence to every man's primal nature looming somewhere deep within them. Sometimes they would stop by a game only for Lelouch to lose interest in a competition against pure luck. Apparently, that was the only one field of speciality which Kallen could defeat her egotistical crush.

"Hmph… such borderline horrendous excuses of a contest are below someone of my status. Morgan, let's go to where real men gamble." Lelouch pouty announced after another slot machine refused to match its patterns, Kallen contained a peal of laughter at the cute glower her liege tried to hide under his mask.

"Right, sure. Of course, My Lord."

— —

"…Checkmate."

"Wha-! What!? Impossible!" The baffled middle-aged man in suits sitting across from Lelouch was about to bolt up from his seat in furious bewilderment. Too bad for him, his blaring shout woke Kallen up from her mindless stupor after too many boring minutes of watching a chess game.

"Settle down now, don't try anything." Kallen washed away her tiredness with a glare of collected intimidation. Maybe her sleepiness added to the unnerving factor, it was effective enough to reseat the lost Britannian and his exasperation.

Unlike the first time something similar happened on the same floor of the rebuilt casino, Lelouch's opponent didn't plant a downright idiotic accusation of him cheating at chess. Perhaps it was thanks to the peculiar aspect of the genius tactician and his monumental posture, or Kallen was just that good of a bodyguard.

And thus another game of strategy with pounds wagered in the hundredth thousands ended in another landslide victory, Lelouch was absolutely lavishing in the glory of his own unparalleled intellect and the misery of his subpar adversaries. Were the glares from the commoners of hatred or envy, Kallen couldn't rightfully tell the difference. All she knew was prior to these three separate incidents called for her to stop an assailant from assaulting Lelouch, and that was three times too many in her books.

"I wouldn't mind receiving my payment, mister." Lelouch impatiently demanded once he was sure no physical conflict would arise.

"…Very well, you've won it." The older adult gave a wave for one of his servants to bring over a briefcase, presumably full of cash. "Although, remind me again. What did you say your name was?" However, before the transaction could be made peacefully, Lelouch's temporary chess partner stared intensely straight into the young monarch's one eye.

"I didn't."

"But I think I know… you're Sir Julius Kingsley, aren't you? The specialist military advisor." If Kallen could see Lelouch attempt to conceal his face from contorting under the mask, she would probably laugh.

"…So what if I am?"

"I'm definitely sure you're announced dead a year ago, and that according to The Order of Michael's Lord Shaing you're actually—" Whatever secret the Britannian was about to reveal, Lelouch abruptly cut in and stopped him.

"-As I am the proof of my own wellbeing, I can just as easily prove what a fool you will be if you are to believe the lies of a dead man."

"You cannot simply discredit a man after his death, besides it is far too elaborate of a plot to devise!" Kallen couldn't place her fingers on the enigmatic exchange between the two men at the chess table, although she could distinctly spot Lelouch removing his contact lens, just so subtle as to not arouse curiosity.

"Enough, you've rambled your share. Answer some questions of mine; where did you learn this information?"

"I was a member of Euro Britannia's House of Lords."

"I see…" Letting a period of silence drift in, Lelouch kept his thoughts to himself while maintaining a line of sight with the European noble. "Miss Mercury, provide this person with a means to contact me." Then, the scheming king commanded the Knight of Ten which she quickly followed by passing an untraceable phone to the gentleman.

"Keep this phone on you at all times and make sure to pick up when it rings, follow every instruction you receive on the other end. If all goes well, I'll see you greatly rewarded for your assistance, mister." Like a template of a smooth-talker, Lelouch sowed the seeds of obedience hidden within a normal, albeit uncomfortable conversation, leaving all of their audiences none the wiser.

"Alright, have it your way."

"We're off, Morgan." Once the show officially concluded, the hidden Emperor was ready to go.

"Yes, My Lord." Mildly ashamed of herself for enjoying Lelouch's display of cunning wit, Kallen couldn't help but respect watching him manipulate pawns on the board without letting them realize their true worth.

"…You're not taking your winnings?" The nobleman called after the duo as they left, confused by the briefcase still on the table.

"You can keep them, I've gained something far more… useful than monetary value."

— —

"…So… wanna talk about it?"

"About what?"

"I dunno, why you're brooding so hard can be a good start. Don't feel pressured." Kallen half-jokingly suggested, crossing her legs on a soft couch.

After the fretful yet exciting interaction at the high-stakes chess table, Kallen and Lelouch relocated to a more comfortable lounge where a massive projector was playing the live feed of a horse racing sport. Computers and terminals were set up in front of the screen, incentivizing the casino's clients to place their bets.

"I'm not brooding, I'm… contemplating!"

"With that look of yours, it's more like… more like… constipating." A very harsh glare was shot her way.

"Sorry, sorry. That was pretty retarded of me. But you know you can tell me whatever is bothering you, makes you feel better to get it off your mind." Lelouch turned his focused gaze to meet her sparkling cobalt irises, beaming off only the gentlest glint of compassion.

"It's not something that interesting, you sure you wanna know?"

"Anything that has to do with you is always interesting to me, Your Majesty."

Lelouch released a helpless sigh, finally willing to open up a bit of his conundrum.

"You ever wonder what I was doing between the Black Rebellion and my revival?"

"Were you not just a carefree student?"

"Near the end, yes. But before that my fa- …the last Emperor convinced me I was a loyal Britannian high-ranking strategist under the guise of Julius Kingsley and sent me to Euro Britannia during their war with the EU. I helped them gain an edge by some pretty questionable means, but then this random guy exposed me as Zero… and then he locked me up." Kallen honestly thought about laughing, but seeing the troubled expression Lelouch presented made her pull him close for a tender hug instead.

"Lelouch… that was a difficult time for you, isn't it?" Kallen kindly whispered, she inwardly thanked her foresight for picking a spot in the room most secluded. "I'm sorry… none of it would've happened if I didn't leave you on Kamine Island that day…"

"Well… at least you made up for it." What Lelouch said wasn't meant as a reminder of her failure, instead it was a lighthearted jab at a forgiven mistake.

"So then what happened?"

"I forgot to add this part, Suzaku was tasked to accompany me the whole time." Suddenly, the topic wasn't all sunshine and rainbows to Kallen anymore, even if it never was to Lelouch.

"Oh… so that's after you… you know, did the thing to his princess, right?"

"…Yeah, I- err… did do that thing." Lelouch inserted pauses between some of his words, finding difficulties in defining his past deeds.

"Yikes… well, fortunate he didn't do the same thing to you, I guess. But forget about that, what happened next?" Kallen sought to move forward as soon as possible from a subject that was still a drain on her king's mood.

"We were rescued later by Rolo, you remember him… and then the last Emperor had me go back to Ashford as a student after that whole ordeal."

"Huh… is that so, let me see if I can get this straight. You, as Julius Kingsley, went to Euro Britannia, got exposed as Zero to their House of Lords and now it's gonna be a problem if they recognize you as the Emperor who's also Zero."

"…If you say it in that way it just sounds silly."

"Well, maybe it is, Your Majesty. Maybe dressing up as a version of yourself that got his alter-ego detected isn't the brightest idea, huh?" Kallen rather playfully pressed her attack, it was such a rarity to catch Lelouch with an ill-sounded plan, after all.

"It's not all that simple, alright?! I'll admit… I didn't consider this possibility when I chose this costume. However, however! In my defense, I've come to realize that it's bound to happen eventually regardless of my actions, since the Julius Kingsley that went to Europe only disguised himself with this set of clothes and mask. So if I just push my hair down…" Inconceivably, when the nervous genius reverted back to his old hairstyle for just a bit, he suddenly became a mirror image of the newest Emperor, except with an eye mask.

"Oh… woah, okay, yeah. If you were walking around Europe like that every noble and their mother would know who the Emperor used to be. I see how this can be an issue in the long run." Lelouch knowingly nodded. Soon after he held a bottle of hairspray jar in one hand and a comb in the other, swiftly fixing his revealing haircut.

"And hence my quandary. I do have some solutions, but there're too many factors at play for me to construct a concrete plan. Since you've invested yourself in this plight of mine, I expect you to assist me when the opportunity arises." Taking on a more serious tone, Lelouch spoke diligently, his tone and gesture left no room for Kallen to debate or refuse.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am at your service, always." Nor did Kallen seek to disobey a single order if it came from her beloved leader.

"Excellent, and that is all I've in mind at the moment."

"So, since I listened to your problem… can you do something for me in return?" However, she never said all her loyalty and obedience came for free.

"I suppose so, what would my queen in red desire?"

"Just a simple question, really. Something that I feel you kinda owe me after skipping out on answering it so many times."

Again, azure lens found themselves irresistibly attracted to the lure of Lelouch's beautiful purple eyes. Sitting so closely side by side, Kallen savoured the passing seconds she connected the windows of her soul to the man who she allowed to wield it. The brilliant ruler also remained unfaltering, blinking away any residue of discomfort for letting himself stare so long into her beauty.

"I believe I can guess what you're planning to ask."

"But let me ask it anyway."

"Then I shall." Kallen discreetly took a long breath, preparing her beating heart to finally obtain the confirmation she had been yearning to hear.

"Lelouch, I… what do I mean to you? In all our time together… am I someone important enough to be by your side, to share your burden? Am I someone… worthy of loving you and receiving your love? Please… tell me the truth."

"Kallen… you can find out for yourself, right now." That was all the permission she needed to lean just a slight bit closer to connect their lips.

"-Hey, check it over there, is that…?"

"-Who?"

"That redhead over there, isn't she the one on all the BK posters?"

Or she would have were it not for a group of unwelcomed civilians who just happened to acquire the pair of isolated lovers in their peripheral, and more atrociously, somehow managed to recognize Kallen through her getup.

_You gotta actually be fucking joking me. _Even after abandoning the Black Knights, Kallen still thought of herself as a defender of the weak and powerless; however, that could very soon not be the case anymore.

"It sounds like we have to relocate, Morgan."

"Arghaaaa… ahhhhhh… okay." Kallen whimpered externally, but screamed internally.

In desperation, Kallen discarded all semblance of her role as Julius Kingsley's bodyguard and weakly allowed herself to be led by the hand following Lelouch's footsteps. Having lost all ability to care, she didn't notice they were heading up an extravagant flight of stairs to the Babel Tower's exclusive rooftop penthouse where only the truly privileged could visit.

"-Excuse me, sir. This area is reserved for VIPs only, I'm gonna have to ask you and your—"

"-Let us through and lock the doors behind me, don't open it for anyone until we come back."

Once Lelouch performed his magic and snuck his way onto the empty roof, Kallen was encapsulated by the fresh air of being three hundred metres above sea level, fortunately just invigorating enough to bring her back from the brink of emotional death.

"I- I can't fucking believe that just—!" The fuming complaint Kallen sought to file was never completed as Lelouch yanked her strenuously towards him, letting her collide against his slender yet firm chest.

And then was when it happened for real. Without warning, Lelouch seized the confused maiden's sensual lips with his own, blasting away all regret and anger lingering in Kallen's thoughts and replacing them with a blazing fire of ardent keenness for her one and only love.

For over a dozen seconds they stayed still, their passions rising higher and higher until it blew away all memories of the unfortunate interruption that hindered their connection. Only when the bodily need for respiration arose did it tragically separate the hotblooded pilot and her accomplished commander.

"I wasn't just gonna leave you hanging."

"Oh- my God, you're just so… Lelouch, I didn't… didn't think you had it in you to do it!" Kallen recoiled in amazement once the mad king slowly released his tight grip around her waist. She took a few full seconds to manage her fluctuating temperament, trying not to overheat the organic CPU that was already overclocking above her neck.

"If a king doesn't lead, how can he expect his men to follow." Lelouch quoted slyly, drawing a burst of short laughter out of his subject.

"Wow, that makes zero sense in context. But I'll pretend to be impressed!" Kallen said, inviting Lelouch to share her humourous beam. "But if you don't mind, can I talk to the man who invented that line?"

"By all means."

The one-eyed adviser leaned in, prompting Kallen to also take a daring step closer to the pretender in black. With fingers promising a touch of delicacy, the ace Devicer gently stroked the exquisite crystal-laced eyepatch hiding his fearsome might of a king before unhooking the latches and unequipping the gear piece, her entire manoeuvre was carried out in a single swift motion with no hesitation to be found.

"Lelouch… can I take that kiss as an answer to my earlier question?" Kallen sincerely said, begging for confirmation in a silent pled she didn't word.

In that blissful moment, Kallen couldn't hear anything except the sound coming out of her beloved's mouth. Not the noises of the earthy consumers below the glass ceiling of Babel Tower or the rotors of helicopters sailing by overhead. Standing in the shadow of a setting sun much like when she first found the resolve to take her fate into her own hands, the knight blinded by romance only coveted for the one sentiment she was never given.

"I… I don't- …the truth is I don't know myself. There's something I must do before I have the right to open myself to you, Kallen. But my answer… has stayed the same ever since we reunited at this very place one year ago." His voice booming to the edges of the balcony, his devotion adamant to a cause Kallen didn't earn the right to be acquainted with.

It was that inability to console Lelouch's hardships and act as his clutch in a time of need which hurt Kallen, and she could tell a simple romantic mood wouldn't suffice to fix all the hurdles and complications that had simmered between them for too long.

"Then in time, will you tell me the truth?" Locking away her demoralized spirit, she pushed on, knowing the truth may bring about fruitless distress.

"I… won't make a promise I don't know if I can keep…"

"That… that's okay." Instead of a sugarcoated lie, Kallen much more preferred the relentless facts. At least that was what she told herself to believe.

"But my intention is not to hurt you, Kallen. It never has been. You matter to me… you belong to me."

"No, really. It's okay. I've sworn to offer every part of myself to you, Lelouch. My heart, my body, my soul… they're yours, so nothing will change even if you reject me outright. Besides, we're both mature adults, it's enough for me to know you feel the same way, just limited by circumstances." Kallen calmed reassured the sober Emperor and replaced the eye-patch he donned. "We shouldn't stay here for too long, it's getting late."

However, as she tried to brush past the young royalty who remained melancholic underneath the open sky, an unpredicted force seized her wrist. "-Face forward and look to your right, Kallen, what do you see?"

Briefly caught by the clenches of nostalgia, Kallen shook away her reminiscence and did as instructed. At a glance, she was spotting crowds of speculator and spectators below them in the casino, men mingling with women and Britannians indistinguishable from Japanese.

"I see people. Some joyous, others disheartened. But all are holding onto their purpose, in one way or another."

"And on the left." Kallen twisted her gaze the other way, past the flock of birds resting on the railings of the building. She saw the city of Tokyo, still in the process of recovering from the devastating F.L.E.I.J.A. But it was a city striving for improvement, over the wounds of the past and towards a bright tomorrow.

"I see the future, where humanity can understand each other and peace can be everlasting."

Abruptly, a pair of arms cuddled her from behind. The weight of another soul rested against her back. Lelouch held her in a tight embrace as the two of them stood hundreds of metres above the earth. The details of his handsome semblance slowly inching its way into her line of sight on her left, from the same angle where his eye-patch remained hidden and his illustrious violet iris shined luminously.

"This truly is the final chance you'll ever have, Kallen. If you want to, you can still go back." The redhead's legs threatened to give away under the sensation of Lelouch whispering so captivatingly into her ear. "If you do it now, the Japanese people will still accept you as a hero."

"I swear… on my life and honour, I shall never leave your side again. No matter what stands in our way, nothing will stop my love from reaching you and yours into me."

"Prove it, in a way only you can." An order Kallen would never hesitate to follow, she pulled him in and kissed the lips so tenderly with her own just as he had demonstrated.

"Lelouch, you're my life, my miracle, my future. Without you, I will become undone."

"Will you follow me to the end of the earth? Into the heart of darkness?"

"I will follow you every step of the way. And once we're at world's end, I will be there to drag you out."

— —

"Two behind, twelve metres. Rounding the corner in ten. Thirty seconds until two more in front make us." Kallen strode by quickly with leisure in her every step, not so fast that it would give away her urgency but not slow enough to actually be caught.

A pair of towering figures geared in the black and grey trimmed attire Kallen knew too well tailed her from roughly twelve metres behind, they were restless in the pursuit until they passed the dark maintenance hallway she murmured into a dozen seconds earlier and were intercepted by a skinny teenager dressed in an incongruous fashion.

"You two, tell your friends ahead that your targets went up the northwest escalators to the washroom on the thirteenth floor." It was a simple order like any other from Lelouch, all of them quite irresistible.

"Alright, got it." The two Black Knight foot soldiers departed, leaving Kallen to reunite with the monarch she unleashed on her stalkers.

The Britannian Knight took the invitation from her lord's outreached hand, where both of them snuck into the employees-only section of the Babel Tower mall. Lelouch let spread a wicked grin over the entirety of his countenance not hidden by the eye-mask. Kallen responded in her own naughty smirk that couldn't hold a candle up to the evilness of the master manipulator, so instead, she stole a kiss out of the blue on his unprotected lips to even the field. It was only when she refused to release the banished prince that he started to concede.

"Mhmm… I liked that." Kallen said, her enticing voice tinted by her inner demons as Lelouch finally pried her off him in the wake of her haphazard desire for skinship.

"And what was it you liked, Miss Mercury?"

"You know, you." Lelouch smiled a second time, much more genuine than his last.

"Let's get going, I'm actually getting a bit tired from how long we wandered today. Besides, we've led Japan's standing military on a far enough chase as is."

"Ohh? How very unusually humble of you, Sir Kingsley. I thought for sure you'd find the strength to baffle another squadron searching for us."

"A man knows his own limits."

"Of course, and you know it the best out of anyone." Lelouch shot his top pilot a bemused sneer that Kallen snickered at friskily as the two of them took the service elevator to the parking garage.

Once the king and knight came down from the emotional high and the physical height of the skyscraper's penthouse, it wasn't long before soldiers of the Black Knights trickled to the casino looking for her, most likely thanks to the citizens from earlier. While trying to remain unobtrusive at first, the duo eventually threw caution to the wind after the royalty and his aid were spotted coming out of a moderately lavish restaurant in the Babel Tower.

Naturally, neither Kallen or Lelouch was interested in being apprehended by the very group that betrayed Zero only two months ago, so the often-stern sovereign suggested a bit of cat and mouse against the troops on the hunt. The Knight of Ten immediately agreed to some post supper exercise, so long as it doesn't ache her stomach or run her king too fatigued.

"Do you do this kinda stuff often?" On the ride down, Kallen filled the momentary pause in action with a question of hers.

"From time to time, although it mostly isn't for fun."

"But this is pretty fun, I'm enjoying it. Normally I'm the one doing all the catching, after all."

"And you've been very helpful on my side instead of theirs, we wouldn't have made it down here without your help, Morgan."

"Duh, where else am I suppose to go? Jump off the side?"

Time passed unceremoniously while the two were lost in uneventful chatter. After they stepped out of the elevator into where their escape vehicle laid in waiting, Kallen slightly winced at the last hurdle hindering their breakout. A Black Knight armoured car was parked near Rivalz's bike making it basically impossible to escape undetected, and the worst part was the carefree man pacing outside impatiently yelling into his radio.

"We really should've predicted this, Miss Mercury."

"Tamaki… you bloody tosser. I knew only your dumbass will waste so much manpower tracking down one missing person."

"I'm sure the others also wanted you to be found, he's probably the best man to do it." Kallen irritatingly huffed at what Lelouch said, she wasn't sure if comfort or mockery would soothe her vein at the moment. "Still, he's in the way. We need to remove him."

"Wait- non-violently, right?"

"Of course, what're you even thinking?" Knew understood in her sound mind Lelouch would only resort to force when most if not all other paths were closed to him, but an instinctive fear for her former friend still loomed in her subconscious.

"I dunno, but let me talk to him first. You go ahead and look around for others that might drop by, you'll know when to come back." Lelouch agreed wordlessly and retreated into the shadows so Kallen could approach the joker she used to know.

"I'm telling you doofuses! She ain't gonna show up no matter how many times you look in the same spot! Spread out and look for her with your goddamn eyes! Make sure to—" It was when Kallen stood right in front of the Black Knight's brash squad leader that he stopped berating whoever was on the other side of his call. "-K-K-Kallen! Oh, KALLEN!"

"Woa—!" Before the renegade Britannian could get a word in, Tamaki already groped her in an excruciating hug. "A-alright, Tamaki you dumbass! Let go already, you're crying all over my clothes, moron!"

"Okay-okay! Sorry, Kallen! But man, oh man! Am I excited to see you! All of us back on Ikaruga thought you were dead, girl! But not me, your old pal Shinichirō Tamaki! And you sure have changed a lot, huh? Look at that haircut, did you turn a new leaf and join some emo-punk band or something!?" So casually the arrogant and idiotic man greeted his lost buddy, who was already an enemy he didn't recognize.

"Shut up, man! Don't trash my hairstyle so soon after meeting me! I'm not exactly a superfan of this cut either, just so you know. And you haven't changed a bit, still being so loud and annoying as always." Kallen was obdurate in her complaint about Tamaki's behaviour, she madly stroked through her locks and pushed them back into her regular fashion.

"Whatever, anyway! How's it hanging? I guess you didn't catch Zero or anything, but everybody messes up sometimes. So what happened after you left? Why didn't you contact us for so long? We searched everywhere for you and the Guren's signal but nothing came up, man! Did you see that punk Lelouch before he became the Emperor, at least?"

"Before I answer any of those, you gotta tell me something first. Does everyone still hate Lelouch for what happened, have you guys ever seriously discussed it… and you know, think about forgiving him? I mean- he's doing a pretty good job being the Emperor and everything, he gave us Japan back." Hearing her defense of the Zero he believed deceived the Black Knights, Tamaki juddered all over and gazed at Kallen in brazen confusion.

"What're you talking about, all the sudden? Of course, everyone is still hurt by his betrayal! Imagine- you don't even have to imagine; you know that he's probably using his Geass on whoever looked at him dirty. All this time we followed his lead and it turns out he's been playing us like a fiddle, the man's absolutely evil incarnate! I still have trouble believing all the shit he's done!"

"So everyone… still…" An exhausted sigh unknowingly escaped Kallen's tongue as she felt her disconsolate heart sink deeper into a pit of woe. At the same time Tamaki started spouting about his great journeys and feats in the two months they were apart, the newest member of Rounds only cast her saddened sight down onto the headband lashed tightly around her wrist.

_Naoto, I'm sorry. I guess you'll never know what a selfish woman I've become. I'm throwing away everything we've built for one man, and I don't even regret it._

"-Like, yeah! I can tell you all about it once we get back. Anyway, what's you been up to after tracking down Zero?" Almost tragically, Tamaki wouldn't comprehend her treacherous plan until it was all too late.

"I suppose… I've been made the Knight of Ten."

Even before the ingenuous Tamaki had time to register Kallen's deadly declaration, she already kicked him in the shin and discarded the sidearm holstered on his belt. The imperial soldier continued her assault and held her bygone comrade in a densely painful headlock, preventing him from running away or turning around.

"-No- why're- y-you-! Kallen! I-impossible! It's not real! Not you, Kallen! You'd never betray us, KALLEN!" Tamaki screamed and kicked to no avail. His panic-induced struggles were useless as a breakout attempt.

"-It appears that your negotiations have failed, Dame Stadtfeld."

"So… it does." From beyond the shadows, Lelouch stepped into the light.

"You…! YOU! Lelouch vi Britannia! You bastard- son of a bitch, you Geassed her!" Tamaki's rageful shrieks reverberated ad nauseam in the underground parking lot, where not a single soul was near to catch his furious condemnation.

"So what if I did? What can you do to save her from my grasp? What can the Minister of Internal Janitorial Affairs do to free Kallen from being my slave?" As per his character, Lelouch taunted the defeated and disgraced Black Knight.

"I'll kill YOU! I'll fucking KILL YOU, ZERO!"

"Lelouch, that's enough. Let's get it over with and get on our way." Kallen couldn't bring herself to share the Emperor's fondness over humiliating his oppositions, so she just did her best to hold her hostage in place while Lelouch removed the purple lens covering his right eye.

"-ZEROOOO—!"

"Tamaki, forget about meeting the two of us today. You will think that you received a report from someone saying she was here but your men never found anything in the end." His screaming died down, soon followed by its echo.

"Yeah, sure. I got it."

Knowing it was pointless to restrain a friend she once held dear, Kallen released Tamaki and watched him react motionlessly. Setting aside the internal conflict she knew she could never truly overcome, the teenage traitor brought herself in front of the static man and gently gave a hug.

"I'm sorry… but you can't stop me anymore, I can't be stopped anymore." Lelouch stepped away towards the motorcycle to give Kallen some space for her last farewell, but even the knowledge of never being able to see a colleague again couldn't stir up more emotions than what she had already expressed. "I guess… this is goodbye."

— —

"Kallen… are you sure you want to—"

"-Can you imagine how hurt I'd be if you finish that sentence?"

"…Sorry, I just want to make sure this is really what you want, I don't think you should be making these types of decisions lightly."

"Lelouch, what decisions are there left to be made lightly? What is there that I can do to revert myself back to the Kallen Stadtfeld pretending to study at Ashford Academy while volunteering as a part-time terrorist?"

"Our prominence on the world stage doesn't mean we should neglect our personal choices. I just don't want you to regret this."

"I promise that this really is what I want, please… I'm adult enough to… know that I want you to have my first."

"But Kallen… it's—" Lelouch's sentence never reached its conclusion, not when Kallen tackled him down on the hotel bed and straddled on top of him.

"-Shhh, you're overthinking these things, my king. Just let me… break down the final barrier separating our two selves." Kallen whispered seductively as she guided Lelouch's hand to clasp the only strap keeping her bathrobe fastened to her rinsed body.

Influenced by her temptation, Lelouch discarded his reluctance and pulled.

"Kallen… I don't know what to say…"

"Then don't say anything… we can connect to each other through other means…"

**Schneizel el Britannia, the White Prince**

**Toromo Agency, Cambodia**

**Three weeks after Lelouch's accession**

"—And am I supposed to sympathize with you, dear brother? You, who eviscerated millions with that weapon of devastation?"

"—I will make no claims of being a messiah, but you do understand that the new Emperor on his throne is no saint. It was never my intention to use the warhead, but I can't say the same about Lelouch." Schneizel leaned back in his cushioned sofa, peeking at the sunrise from the outdoor conference room of the Toromo Agency. By his lonesome, he held a secret meeting with another young sovereign sharing his blood.

"—If this is your attempt to convince me of Lelouch's wickedness, then I have to tell you it's unsuccessful, Brother Schneizel. For I do not see the new Emperor as pure evil, even if some might consider his methods to be unorthodox."

"—But do you know of them? Lelouch's methods? How he came into power overnight and bent the entire palace of Pendragon to his will?" The particular way Schneizel twisted his tone intrigued the royalty fronting of him on the screen.

"—Do enlighten me."

"—Many of the people I've told found it to be exceedingly impossible. However, I do think you'll find it much more believable."

"—I am in suspense, brother."

"—Lelouch processes an unworldly power, that of which allows him to control the minds of others. Anyone caught in his line of sight will be forced to obey whatever it is he orders them, a truly terrifying ability. After further investigation, I've come to discover father was also involved in the research of this power, I'm sure you can guess what it is I'm talking about,"

"—So you know about it, the Power of Kings. The Geass. Mind-boggling, Brother Schneizel." Reading the minuscule alternation to his opponent's expression, Schneizel predicted the course of their conversation had turned in his favour.

"—It may have been an ill-advised endeavour of mine, but I've also learned that you've been working on many of father's leftover assets in the EU. Since the pattern between the possessor of this power and those who meddle in those ancient ruins is palpable, it's become not so difficult to connect the dots…"

"—So you know… even what I've been doing. Well, don't bother containing you gasconade, preen yourself to my detriment, have at it."

The Viceroy sharing Schneizel's genes remained composed as he continued to lay out all that he knew about her past activities for the last year in explicit detail, including some of her more illicit doings which would surely snowball into another scandal to the public were it to be disclosed. The entire time, the White Prince's half-sibling endured emotionlessly with her digits prodding up her chin and hiding her muddled countenance.

"—Brother Schneizel, you and Lelouch have always been the smartest out of all our family members, I cannot deny the obvious. So I'll be frank and admit I'm clueless as to what schemes you have in mind. I ask you to tell me in plain English what is it you want me to do for you, and I can respond with a simple yes or no."

"—Fair enough, dear sister. If given the opportunity, are you able to control Lelouch with your power?"

"—…Yes."

"—Are you willing to?"

"—Am I willing to unseat who the population sees as an altruistic ruler that will bring about a prosperous future for Britannia and the world? Unlikely. Unless…?"

"—Unless you don't believe that Lelouch is meant for the throne, he who steals the mind of others for his own ambition. Is a Geassed world deprived of free will a fair trade for an imposed peace? Even right now, this false semblance of order we have is just another one of his ruses, and when the people wake up to the truth, it'll be too late." On the inside, Schneizel could almost chuckle at the hypocrisy he offered, but not on the outside.

"—You do realize I am one of the few souls on this earth without the right to condemn him?"

"—But you're one of the few souls who can stop him, given your rare placement as a descendant of our father Lelouch knows little about. I ask you to consider doing it for the greater good and for your family under the tyrant's control." Silence enveloped the room for quite a bit after Schneizel made his proposal, the partnership he suggested was persistent in the mind of his sibling and its weight was measured on a scale between two brothers.

"—…I'll head for the Capital and tangle amidst Lelouch's court. If what you said about his intention is true, I shall be his judge, jury and executioner. Otherwise, don't expect to hear back from me again."

"—That is all I ask. It's up to you to determine who stands as the greater evil."

"—Then if there's nothing else, goodbye Brother Schneizel."

"—Goodbye, Marrybell." Once both parties ended their call, Schneizel found himself admiring the irony of imploring his sister who suffered the most similar circumstances as Lelouch to be the one that overthrows him.

"Your Highness, are you sure it's wise to ask this of Princess Marrybell? She is someone with a mindset very akin to Lelouch himself." Silently observing the communication until now, Schneizel's trusted aid placed down one concern for his plan.

"I'm hoping for their likeness to be what drives her to topple him. Firing fire with fire, I suppose."

"Although this may turn into an 'if you can't beat them, join them' situation." Hearing Kanon's familiar sense of humour, the Second Prince laughed.

"Quite right… quite right. Well, it is what it is."

— —

**Author's note**

Oof, the longest chapter yet. It wasn't planned this way but it just sorta happened, although all in all, I'm pretty happy about it. I've set up short and long-term developments for the future, there's a prelude to introducing other characters. I'm actually doing proper writing stuff, it's crazy.

I don't wanna drag my notes on for too long so I'll just stop it here.

Replying to shadowwriter01 talking about how the Knight of Rounds use "Line of Succession" to question Lelouch's succession and doesn't get retorted by counterpoints like V.V. and Geass:

I don't believe there's any evidence in canon that shows any of the Rounds knowing about Geass and V.V. except for Suzaku and Bismarck, in R2 episode two Charles brought Suzaku to the thought elevator under Pendragon and told him he was the first Rounds to be there and not even Schneizel knows about it, while it is revealed later that Bismarck obviously knows about Charles's plan, I think it's more an exception than the rule. Besides, all of the Rounds are like in their twenties, there's no reason to think they'd suspect Charles as an illegitimate ruler if he's been in power for all their lives. And you said it yourself that it's possible for Charles to just Geass them, so that's another possibility for a problem that I don't really think is there.

Alright cool bye, also thanks for reading.


	8. The Twin Princes(ses)

**The Twin Princes(ses)**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of—**

**Somewhere in Pendragon**

**Sometime after Lelouch's accession**

Suzaku could hear someone's stagnant speech in the distance, familiar and distinct but also forbidding and despondent in nature.

"_If it's the Power of Kings you seek from me, what can you offer me in exchange? Perhaps the selfishness of your soul has no proposal to make for a deal I wish not to conduct. But that is what happens—_"

"-_I hereby command you to love me… and in return, I will love you forever!_" A different voice, another memory of a time long lost surged into Suzaku's vision. The tone he knew all too well reminded him nothing but the darkest moment of his life.

"_However, be warned, the Power of Kings will condemn you; if not of solitude, of desolation. You'll experience life unlike what you've lived before, you'll see people unlike who you've met before. But I suppose all of it will be rendered meaningless by the wheel of fate, that is unless you lose your own motivation—_"

"-_I am the Third Princess of the Britannia Empire, Euphemia li Britannia!_" Her familiar voice, whether it was mellow or dedicated all brought back the agonizing pain Suzaku buried in the depth of his heart, wishing for it to never resurface.

"_So if you're still determined to have this power, then you will accept it. Not as a contract with me, but a gift. A gift that I sincerely pray will let you achieve the dream you've always held dear but lost to the flow of time. Let a wish of Geass mend away that hatred and cruelty we call fate._"

"-_All of you who call yourselves Japanese, I have a favour to ask! Could all of you die for me, please!?_" After that, only gunfire rang endlessly to create a sea of corpses and blood.

The killing continued, thousands died by Euphie's order. The bodies of the innocent piled up over the flag of Japan, the boundless madness consumed the hope that was once lit in the people of a conquered country. When the masses called for a hero to protect them, who was there to stop the Massacre Princess other than Zero, the hope and saviour of the Japanese and their future.

Only Zero could save them, only Zero was fit to save the world from insanity. So Suzaku pulled the trigger, and the body of another one of Charles' children sunk.

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Medical Ward**

**Three weeks after Lelouch's accession**

"-EUPHEMIA!" A scream, so appalling and loud even from across the room C.C. was startled. However, knowing there was only one person it could have been, she persuaded herself to ease the tension and check on his wellbeing.

C.C. casually strolled from the folding chair to the bed Suzaku was relocated to after suffering nauseating feedback from establishing a connection between the Code Bearer and the Geass user. It wasn't the first time she witnessed someone react so strongly to receiving the King's Power. However, it was the worst case so far with him fainting upon contact with her there and then.

"How're you feeling, boy? Proud of yourself for dragging me out of my room?" C.C. pulled open the white curtain of his medical bed and commented coolly. Suzaku blinked a few times in puzzlement before sitting up.

"I was… how long was I out?"

"About a dozen hours, you didn't take to having a Geass too well, it seems." The Knight of Zero rubbed the bridge of his nose and inhaled tiredly, trying to clear his jumbled senses and bring them back to reality.

"I heard your voice, was it your explanation on the functions of Geass?"

"Not exactly, you heard my subconscious speaking to yours. But what I said was probably what the me right now would also say."

"And I saw… Euphie, was that your doing too?"

"Did you see the World of C? The Collective Unconscious?"

"No, not that. Only memories of the past, and of the Geass Order." C.C. rustled her hair a little, chewing over the news and the most likely reason for the flash of recollection Suzaku experienced.

"Hmm… my connection to God has declined after Ragnarök was foiled, maybe it's a result of that." C.C. revealed, deciding to continue her quest for understanding the higher planes of existence another time. "Anyway, what Geass did you receive? Try it out."

"I… I can't." Strangely, Suzaku refused to activate his newfound power. Instead, he rose out of the bed and went for his long coat hanging to the side.

"No, I mean just bring it out. You can't Geass me, don't worry."

"No, I know what you mean. I'm saying I can't trigger it, I tried many times just now. Although it's telling me something… it can't be activated here, I need to get to a Thought Elevator." By the end of his lines, Suzaku was already properly dressed and on his way out the door.

"Is that what it's telling you? To reach a Thought Elevator?"

"Yeah… I just have the feeling, it's… I don't understand it, but it's showing me what I should do to use it." A very peculiar case of the Geass intrigued C.C.'s ever so faint notion of inquisitiveness.

"I see… I'm actually curious about your power, I'll go with you and maybe see your head explode."

"…By all means."

— —

C.C. continued to meander her way through the massive pillars of Charles' hidden underground temple, her vague memories of the last time she visited the Thought Elevator beneath Pendragon was slowly being renovated as she took in the sights of the sullen environment surrounding an ageless woman and a Japanese Knight. Suzaku took the lead and deployed urgency in his every step, his attitude marginally more solemn than the careless witch.

"You said you've been here once before?" Bothered by the moody silence, C.C. shattered it with her infrequent question.

"Yeah, Emperor Charles showed me the Sword of Akasha last time we were here. But… it's strange, we should've reached it by now…" Suzaku's words drifted away as he tempered his pace to carefully survey the context of his whereabouts, his confusion most likely stemming from the weird architecture not matching his mental map.

"You'll need a gateway to cross into the World of C, no exceptions. Charles must've used smoke and mirrors and hide that door… hold on." C.C. felt the pulse of her Code as she searched in the conscious realm to look for the entrance and found it not too far away. "It's over there, follow me."

"I always wanted to ask; what exactly is a Code?" It seemed like the demonstration of C.C.'s abilities fascinated Suzaku enough for him to be the one starting a new dialogue.

"Ohhh… I really don't want to explain it. It's a lot of exposition, I know you don't actually care anyway. Just… honestly, ask another question."

"If you truly are immortal, how many times have you died?"

"…Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten in your life?" Stunned by the blatant apathy C.C. showed for her own health, Suzaku was trumped back into another wave of awkward silence.

"Is it painful to die?" Eventually, the Devicer asked again.

"Every time. It's not something you'll get used to."

"I see…"

When the spring of inspiration ran dry and the contents of their discussion subsided, the two were standing in front of a Thought Elevator like the ones they saw before on Kamine Island. C.C. and Suzaku shared a glance before he tried to hold her hands, the uncomfortable confrontation paused his movement when she hastily retracted backwards to avoid contact.

"This door works fine. You can just touch it and go through."

"Oh… oh, sorry." So Suzaku did. And on the other side, they both appeared together.

Floating over an infinite abyss, the temple hosting the Sword of Akasha had suffered countless instances of severe decay over its structure after the weapon was destroyed in its first and last battle against the Collective Consciousness. Unlike the old radiance of a fake sunset that used to paint the splendid arena in a shade of orange, now the hallowing view into space and Jupiter was all that was left.

"To be frank, I'm surprised we can even reach here to begin with. Earlier, I told you my connection to the World of C is fading, I was afraid the detachment could even affect my existence as a Code Bearer and people with Geass. However, being here fills me with renewed closeness to the Collective Unconscious, it doesn't feel half bad."

"I can't relate to that."

"Understandable, we're here to test your Geass. But now that I think about it, there's no one here you can use it on." C.C. was about to laugh at the silly predicament the duo found themselves in if it wasn't for Suzaku glaring so intensely at the symbol of God above.

"…Before meeting you and knowing the power of Geass, I've always accepted the world as I saw it. Real-life is harsh and unfair, miracles are just tricks performed behind curtains. Stories and fantasies remained in the realm of fiction where they stayed as projections of people's unachievable wishes. But now… now I can understand why we strive for the impossible…"

The symbol of the crimson wings spread far manifested in Suzaku's left eye, its shape and colour were both equally valid as proven by many of C.C.'s previous contracts.

Briefly, the witch pondered what the Japanese teen had in mind for using his power in a world deprived of suitable targets, but it soon dawned on her why they were in God's sanctuary in the first place.

"Kururugi Suzaku… you already know what you can do, don't you?"

"I've been called a fool, a hypocrite, a traitor. I won't deny any of those things if they're what brought me to where I am today, on a road I took doing what I believed to be the right thing to do. But this time, I'll recognize the evil of my own deed… my own selfish desire to shape causality." Suzaku continued to stare at the appearance of God itself, his sight focused and his body unmoving.

"This… is an act of insanity, Suzaku. In fact, you saw what happened to Charles and Marianne, you don't have to imagine what'll happen if it doesn't work." C.C. harboured her own qualms about the brave yet presumptuous attempt at influencing the foundations of creation, even though she wasn't generous enough to stop the pilot's imprudent endeavour.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. Besides, I don't want to rob the people of their tomorrow, I just want to ask to be gifted a fracture of time."

"That's not really any better, the Collective Unconscious doesn't like being reversed."

"Then it should've stopped Geass from ever existing, but since I have a tool at my disposal, I'll use it with the commitment to see it succeed. And… I think… I can finally understand a bit of why Lelouch became who he is."

Suzaku's laboured breath soon became the only noise echoing in the chamber of the Human Unconsciousness. Even when his intention was unfaltering and his decision already set in stone, C.C. easily fathomed why someone would be hesitant about defying the laws of the universe. However, even beyond that, she could fathom why humans carried the will to defy their own destiny.

"I've never been truly loyal to anyone, I've never truly agreed to any ideal. But if there's one person that can do those things for me, I think I will know who it is."

"So says the treacherous knight. Nonetheless… rules are meant to be broken, boy. If that who resides up above disagrees with a power of this magnitude, it shouldn't have ever allowed you to possess it. Why not give it a shot, right? All you have to lose is your very existence." C.C.'s unplanned encouragement was the final push Suzaku needed to initiate his short venture, so earth's newest Geass user looked in the face of God steadfast and uttered the single wish he could never let go.

"Please give Euphie back to me." Suzaku requested.

— —

C.C., for a thousand years worth of experience she collected, was self-assured that she had perceived more presumed unattainable outcomes than most men. However, what she just saw was something she would forever refuse to accept as possible were she not present when the impossible took place.

The planet of Jupiter pulsed once as it was known to do and shot down a bolt of lighting from an atmosphere it didn't boast into the ground a couple of metres away, throwing both of the temple's guests backwards from the shock force. By the time the dust cloud had settled around C.C. and Suzaku, there was a discrete figure floating somewhere behind the smoke shielded by the poor visibility.

In shocked numbness the two kept their quiet, unsure of the next proper step to take. The suffocating tranquillity remained for half a minute until the shadow of a bygone past spoke its first word from beyond the grave.

"…Suzaku…? It is really you, Suzaku?"

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Imperial Palace**

**Four days after Kallen's trip to Japan**

Walking down an unfamiliar hallway was something Kallen had found herself doing a lot more often in the past month. Not actually because of her new tenancy being vastly unalike where she used to reside, but more of how the opportunity to behold and appreciate where she was arisen much more often, as opposed to only focusing on where she was going to be.

Needless to say, Kallen was still striding with a purpose, not just wandering the great halls of Pendragon in her full Knight of Rounds uniform for the fancy of it as she was unceremoniously known to do. Her justification for the outing gained a good deal of legitimacy when Jeremiah was there to greet her on the final stretch to the throne room.

"Lord Gottwald, here to pick me up?"

"His Majesty has requested the two of us to accompany him today, I don't believe you heard that there's an airship arriving from Area Twenty-four carrying its Viceroy."

"Where is that in real life?"

"It's former Spain, the popular rumour is the Viceroy decided to travel here for a tour of the lands after His Majesty came into power." Kallen sensed a glower taking shape over her mood before she suppressed the foulness from thinking about meeting one more inept authority.

"Another spoiled child of the last king or just a corrupted aristocrat?"

"It is princess Marrybell mel Britannia and her personal KMF task force, Glinda Knights."

"Oh yeah? She's one of the few siblings that weren't here when Lelouch took over, right? He told me she bailed on all of his calls after that, was pretty bummed out about it too. Must be a real bratty kid if she has the gall to ignore an Emperor's summon."

"I should warn you to be more mindful of what you say, Lady Stadtfeld. However, I don't know enough about the princess to properly comment."

"I'll try not to simulate other's pique for my own entertainment, but no promises about saying what must be said." Kallen thought of it as a good balance between bashing all individuals born of the Britannian heritage and licking their boots.

"Lady Stadtfeld, despite being a member of the Black Knights, you can be very sophisticated in your mannerism, do tell why." When Jeremiah lost interest in the last topic, he swiftly moved onto the next.

"Well, I am half nobility born and fully nobility raised, until the war at least. It's not a part of my upbringing I enjoy illustrating, but I've better things to complain about than mannerism." If Kallen wanted to be completely forthright about her discern for the Britannia culture, she could probably write an entire book critiquing its ancient traditions.

"Impressively mature of you, Lady Stadtfeld. To be frank, I held my reservations about Emperor Lelouch taking you with us, but now I can see those worries were unfounded. You have the apologies of one Jeremiah Gottwald." And he declared, Jeremiah marched ahead of an astonished Kallen and demonstrated a very formal bow.

"Oh… no, no need at all! I mean- I should probably apologize for what I did! With the whole thing to your face… I mean, we were enemies back then and I can't control the radiant surge after using it. Wait, I'm not making excuses it just- I'm sorry about having to fight against you, Jeremiah." The taller cyborg laughed heftily after Kallen stumbled over her phrases.

"Now that we both said our pardons, let it be water under the bridge. Besides, with your unintentional assistance, I am able to be of more help to His Majesty."

"Great, great, glad it's not all bad. Very… very cool." Kallen quickly stated and increased her pace, not giving the lenient atmosphere enough time to turn unpleasant.

Once they breached the doors connecting to the stage where the Emperor's throne was sited, Kallen saw the usual suspects minus Suzaku kicking back on the magnificent chair reserved for the nation's monarch. More specifically, Lelouch was trying his best to act dignified while C.C. crawled all over his lap and sat on top of Britannia's ruler like a lawn chair.

"C.C… I really am not that engaged in your photos, can you stop—"

"-Look, it's a picture of you beating up what's-her-face after she pushed Nunnally into a pond."

"…Oh yeah, I was never really fond of Carine even as children, that little… well, she was a rather evil kid, honestly." Lelouch nonchalantly glanced over the album book in C.C.'s care while the immortal witch flipped through its pages.

"-Hey! Hey, you damn snake, get off His Majesty!" Kallen took a fast peek across the chamber and noticed a very sparse presence of important figures, which prompted her to rush ahead of Jeremiah and try to drag C.C. away from hogging all of Lelouch's personal space. _Goddamn it, damn it! Why is she always faster!?_

"Wow… wow… for a mere Knight of Rounds to treat me, the Imperial Consort with such an attitude. Are you seeking your own demise, Dame Stadtfeld?" C.C. announced sulkily, almost breaking Kallen's tempered manner and posture. It was only thanks to Lelouch shaking his head signalling denial that she realized trusting a single word from the witch's mouth was an utmost act of idiocy.

"What the hell are you-! Whatever- alright. Just get going, C.C." Kallen tempered her anger to not let slip the unjustified frustration which boiled to the surface every time she laid her eyes on C.C.

"If only you weren't such a poor sharer, I'd be more than willing to let you dig through my collection of Lelouch's childhood memories." Enticed, but not swayed, Kallen remained steady in her effort of throwing C.C. back.

"Just get outta here, you have your own seat! I don't wanna deal with you right now!" Kallen then proceeded to push the self-proclaimed queen away from Lelouch's throne and back to where she belonged. However, before the unkillable woman fully allowed herself to be pestered, C.C dipped back to grab the picture book she brought along.

"-Lord Gottwald, is this the most severe crisis our empire currently faces?" Lelouch spoke diligently earning the attention of both his female companions.

"Not even close. But for you personally, then quite a hassle indeed, Your Majesty." When the observers to their little skirmish finally commented, the reality of their childlike squabble settled in and Kallen hurriedly returned to her proper position by Lelouch's side while C.C. cleaned herself to look somewhat dignified.

"-Presenting Princess Marrybell mel Britannia! The Eleventh Princess of Britannia and the Viceroy of Area Twenty-four to the Imperial Throne!" From outside the massive gates, the announcement of the newcomer's arrival pierced through the carefree temperament shared by the console of four.

"Kallen, mask." Lelouch called her name and swiped his hand over his face, indicating for the knight to properly adjust her disguise. His professionalism and esteem as a nation's leader helped Kallen to quickly forget about their personal troubles.

"…Right, my bad." Doing as ordered, Kallen slid the mask of Guy whoever from where it sat covering her left ear to over her face. She carefully adjusted a few fits around the edges and made sure her version through the lens over the eye-hole was clear and unobtrusive.

The group of soldiers, emperor and one undying girl waited for the foreign princess to make her way through the empty court until she reached the platform where Lelouch sat. His majestic stance on top the only seat befitting his status displayed an imposing king unimpressed by his half-sibling and her two attendants.

Suddenly, C.C. roamed purposefully behind Lelouch, her buoyant aura plummeted in jolliness just a little as she tugged the Knight of Ten and the half-man half-machine guard closer within earshot.

"That princess, and laddie, they have Geass." C.C.'s straightforward warning was received by her companions and she returned to slouching in her usual manner.

"Your Majesty, I've come to be graced in your renowned honour from the luxurious land of Area Twenty-four." The girl Kallen saw as too young to govern an entire country bent her knees along with her two escorts before the stage of the Emperor. One of her two aides by her side passed her a crate which Marrybell presented to Lelouch while keeping her head down.

"For me? How… indulgent, sister." Whether Lelouch uttered his comment as applause or criticism, Marrybell kept herself kneeled low regardless.

"I bring forth with me the gifts and richness my kingdom is known for, please accept this token of my goodwill. Ten pounds of the highest quality saffron we've produced in the last two years and a bottle of _Teso La Monja _four years of age made with the utmost finesse in our vineyard." In the basket the teenage princess revealed, there was indeed a vase of spice and a bottle of wine she offered.

An informal wave of his hand notified the sentries standing closest to the visitors of Lelouch's order, they retrieved the basket of material goods and made their way up before the throne. Sparing the favour of his sister one bored glimpse, the ninety-ninth Emperor sent away the wine and spices with another unimaginative gesture.

"I see your goodwill and donation before me, exchanging for the appeasement of your king. However, why choose to come forth now when it's far too late and my charity has all but drained empty." Taking a guess between mocking intimidation or genuine displeasure, Kallen gave fifty-fifty for why Lelouch was treating the queen of Spain so harshly.

"If it's regarding my failure to present myself in your court during your accession, then I apologize profusely for being unable to attend. I was preoccupied with commotions ransacking my garden and could not excuse myself to be in your elegance. For this misconduct, I'll accept any punishment."

When the sable-haired strategist invited his remaining relatives to visit Pendragon celebrating his good work of removing their last emperor The new knight wasn't overwhelmed by surprise when everyone ghosted on his party, although it seemed Lelouch still bore a dose of leftover vexation. Dismissing the obvious no-showers such as Schneizel and Cornelia, Lelouch had told her a lie in private about how Marrybell was the only one most likely to appear.

"So has those ravaging your Area been taken care of?" Lelouch finally changed his expression to show a slight hint of engagement in the conversation after forgetting about his old disappointment.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Area Twenty-four is in swift recovery from the unfortunate burdens of recent civil unrest. I promise it'll be the most beautiful spot for a holiday that side of the Atlantic befitting your grandeur in no time." Marrybell's mention of the common folk's protest riveted Kallen's interest, invoking her to wonder how tight the young princess's grip was when she oversaw her people.

"Very good, your ample kindness has convinced me to heal my wounded pride, Raise, Marrybell."

The princess followed her command, so did the two soldiers adorned in Glinda Knights' elite uniform. One being a caramel blonde with her hair done in a long pigtail dangling over her chest, which ended in a twisty drill. The other knight was a young man of the same hair colour shielding his eyes with a sizable visor, who struck Kallen with a flash of recognition that dispelled too quickly for her to act upon that intuition.

_Is she actually carrying a broadsword around…? Hardcore or idiotic?_ Disproportionate to the young female knight's physique, she was visibly armed with a huge claymore-esque blade strapped to her back that measured almost the same height as herself.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Allow me to introduce my Vice-Commander, Dame Oldrin Zevon of the Zevon family." Marrybell gestured to her right and the noble girl beaming in determination took a bow. "And my Head Knight… Lyre."

The masked boy standing at attention did nothing to reciprocate to his own introduction. If he dipped his head slightly as a nod of respect, Kallen didn't notice its subdued movement.

"You stand in the presence of Britannia's one true Emperor and dare to hide your name and face? Remove that mask at once lest you want your skull displaced." The irony of Kallen demanding for a veil to be undone wasn't lost on the ex-Black Knight in disguise. Still, a part of her hoped it would add to their irritation and probe a reaction from the stoic teen, but also so she could further distance her professional self from her normal carefree personality.

"Please hold your blade, Dame! Lyre suffers from a unique ailment of the eye that cripples him should it be exposed to bright light, and he doesn't understand the traditions of our aristocracy. I can personally attest to his loyalty to the Imperial blood and his expertise amidst the battlefield, so please overlook his lack of proper discipline in some areas." Marrybell spoke up for her servant, even when the boy still declined to react.

"That is not your decision to make anymore." Kallen eyed Lelouch for a remedy which he was deliberate about producing.

"I shall… allow it, stand down Q-1."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Kallen withdrew to Lelouch's side, satisfied with the result of her stunt asserting the monarch's presence as absolute.

"Anyway, why did you come here, Marrybell? How long do you plan on staying at the capital? And who is in charge of Area twenty-four during your absence? I'm feeling plenty curious."

"I am ready to comply, but I must request confidentiality regarding what I'll say next if Your Majesty wants to know the true reason for my arrival. It is certainly involved with some rather… aberrant matters."

As Marrybell stated in her cheerful yet sincere tone, she placed the bottom of her left palm over her left eye and proceeded to slide it away to the side. Kallen instantaneously recognized the noteworthy indication behind her signal, so did Lelouch, the person most associated with moving something out of the way of his vision.

"…The rest of you, leave us. Make sure no one enters." His commanding instruction left no room for debate. The row of Royal Guards performed a grand salute and marched out of Lelouch's auditorium before he clicked a button inside his breast pocket that dimmed the entire grand hall. "Speak now, I've disabled the surveillance. Everyone else knows about this… matter you've mentioned."

"Of course. I came to our capital Pendragon on behest of Brother Schneizel, asking me to watch for an opportunity to usurp you—" At the mention of Marrybell's edict for regicide, Kallen and Jeremiah immediately readied their weapons and took protective stances in front of Lelouch. "-However! I myself hold absolute no ill-will against Your Majesty! And only came here to reassure Schneizel of our fickle alliance!"

Tension stewed under the intense pressure filling every corner of the throne room, the danger in the air was on the constant verge of spilling over following Marrybell's fearless declaration. The line of sight between Lelouch and his unfamiliar sister was blocked by the two apprehensive warriors ready for action at the drop of a hat. Kallen rapidly calculated the likelihood of her king believing the princess's claim, and who to strike down first in case they fed him lies.

"I swear on my honour… Lelouch! Ask me anything! I-I have nothing to hide!" Confident was Marrybell's attitude, and the tiny smudge of fear only gave credence to her humanity and sincerity.

"You have a Geass, is that correct?"

"Yes. In my left eye, it's the ability to force anyone I use it on to submit to my will. My target loses their independence and becomes my puppet. However, if they're on standby without order and are forced to confront their own ego, then their free-will can return and break my Geass." Marrybell fervidly described her own terrifying power and its limitations, mentioning how it's almost impossible for someone under her influence to pretend they still maintained their sensibilities.

"Who else?"

"Lyre also has a Geass. He can trick anyone within a hundred-metre radius of seeing him as someone else. However, the prerequisite is that it must be someone he can imitate to near perfection since it projects how he sees that person unto himself. It also has a time limit of five minutes every hour, and it doesn't work on cameras."

"Who gave you two those Geass? How long have you had them for?"

"It was V.V., Your Majesty. I received mine about… nine-month ago and Lyre had his for a long time now. He's at the point… where he can no longer deactivate it. If Your Majesty does not yet know, the power of Geass grows continuously to maturity until it cannot be contained anymore, becoming a terrible horror instead."

"Is that so? I've learned something useful today." If Lelouch's schemes involved him pretending to lack knowledge in a certain field, Kallen had little reason to poke holes in his story. "Do you swear upon your own name and dignity that everything you've said is the truth?"

"Yes! I swear! The righteousness of your rule and my own hatred towards our father are the only things I hold faith in. The atrocities Emperor Charles committed against you cannot be compared, brother. Nevertheless, I want to think I can partially understand how you felt after Empress Marianne's assassination and your own exile… seeing as I've been reduced by a treatment roughly equivalent to yours."

Again, silence loomed over the lord of the Britannia Empire as he was no doubt in deep contemplation of his sibling's trustworthiness. In a battle of wits too far-fetched for Kallen to fully understand, she could do nothing but tower over the potential threat to Lelouch's administration and life.

"How unfeigned to your conviction is and how dangerous your talents may be, I shall deliver judgment upon it. I command you, Marrybell mel Britannia. cover your left eye and I will see for myself the integrity of your true self." In cold-hearted authority, Lelouch ordered from behind the shield of Kallen's impenetrable mask and Jeremiah's canceller.

Marrybell reacted sluggishly at first, her hesitation perfectly understandable to someone who witnessed the terror of Geass first hand. Neither her knights spoke a word of protest to the subjugation their master was about to suffer, the pair were instead much more tense about what the princess was reaching for under her coat than even Kallen when she saw a flicker of steel.

Although, on closer inspection, the dread of being put under the Emperor's control was basically nothing compared to the resolution of carrying out the self-inflicted gouging of one's own eye.

"-What-! Marrybell…!" Since the start of their welcome, Lelouch had yet to lose his cool and smart. That was until Marrybell brought a dagger up to her own left eyeball.

"Lelouch… if you still insist on Geassing me after this… then do as you will. But please first… wait and observe my own determination to preserve my autonomy, for I am a woman who places her freedom above her ambition. Thus… if this sacrifice… can convince you to stay your hand… then so be it." The tenacity of her dedication shocked everyone present, yet Marrybell wasn't fulfilled by only the reactions as she aimed the tip of her knife right on the centre of her eyeball and plunged the blade.

"-ENOUGH! Hold it, Marrybell!" A split-second before blood could be shed, Lelouch's thunderous command paused the princess' momentum. "…I've seen your resolve, sister. Keep your power, and your freedom. If you're this firm about retaining your mind, then I have needs for you yet."

"I… am grateful to your limitless generosity, Your Majesty." Marrybell finally spoke after an eternity of laboured breathing. Kallen impulsively commiserated with the young royalty after overcoming such a tension-filled moment.

"Do you need a guide to your own quarters?"

"No."

"Then go… I'm not in the mood to discuss politics after that feat of yours, sister. I'll drop by some other time to work out the fine inks of our cooperation." Lelouch sighed tiredly, Marrybell almost mirrored his fatigue pace for pace.

"I look forward to it. Then, if nothing else…" Marrybell collected herself one last time after sheathing her dagger, the salute she and her knights performed next to the teenage king appeared a tiny bit less stiff than most salutes Kallen had seen.

"-All hail Britannia. All hail Lelouch!"

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Pisces Imperial Villa**

**After visiting Emperor Lelouch**

Not all beds were created equal, some were softer than others and some far too rigid for the princess' taste. However, as Marrybell flopped onto the neatly cleaned sheets over the bouncy mattress, she didn't bother to concern herself with how comfy her new bed turned out to be. Only two annoyances bothered her at that time; her own jaded drowsiness and her incredible thirst.

"Oldrin, please give me some water…" Marrybell whispered wearily to her aide-de-camp, but Oldrin simply stood by the doorway to the Viceroy's new room and shot hateful glares her way every time she lifted her head to meet her gaze.

"…"

"Oz… please… bring me some water, I beg of you." Eventually, Marrybell's childhood friend dug up her deep-buried compassion and brought a cup of water to the royalty in need. As Marrybell drank clumsily from the plastic bottle, fed to her in the deathly grip of the Glinda Knight's Vice-Commander, she couldn't look away from the pure disgust and loathing shining vengefully in Oldrin's exquisite green irises.

"What would you have done if Emperor Lelouch didn't stop you?" Sometime after her old friend crushed the empty bottle to a pulp in her fist, she asked Marrybell for her response to a possible future.

"I was gambling that he would be kind enough to stop me… or else I've done it."

"Was that as far as you planned? You'd give up your Geass without ever using it to its full potential?"

"I suppose so… tell me, Oz, what would you do had I stabbed out my own eye?" Oldrin stepped back in musing, she breathed deeply, probably to force down a raging fury brimming on the edge of explosion.

"I'd watch you bleed out on the floor and dirty the carpet."

"…Or on this bedsheet… right now, if you want." Marrybell said unafraid. Even presenting her dagger to the girl across from her as proof.

Taking the vengeful opportunity with poise in her manoeuvre, Oldrin closed their distances and drew the knife in one swift motion. Marrybell was awestruck by the engrossing waves trailing behind the metal edge. How marvellous the blade danced between her knight's fingers as she carefully juggled the sharp weapon until she caught it by the handle, its deadly tip pointed directly at the princess' throat.

"I should've done this long ago, Marry."

"You're so close to fixing your mistake, Oz."

"I agree."

The dagger flew down and drew the blood of an autocrat, yet the gasp Marrybell choked on in her windpipe didn't escape through a slit on her neck. Oldrin had sliced the skin on her throat, but the shallow wound was by no means a fatal blow.

"…Do you like it? Do you enjoy drawing my blood?" Marrybell said after a daunting period of absolute stillness.

"I'll have your head one of these days, Marrybell. You can count on it." Oldrin declared, soon followed by the dagger clanking on the floor as Marrybell's favourite knight stormed out of her chamber.

"Hate me all you want, my pretty. But we both know I can't turn back on this yellow brick road anymore." Marrybell summoned the last bit of her energy to speak into the void left behind by her disappearing soulmate before letting herself be taken by the exhaustion of her travels.

— —

**Author's note**

Here it is, the moment when I jump the shit out of that shark. I hope we all had a good time this far, since it's all going downhill after this. A real neverending downward spiral.

Now, is it a total unabashed asspull to [spoiler]"revive Euphie"[/spoiler]? Absolutely, I don't doubt at all that some people are definitely going to hate the story, and by extension, me for doing that. But it's something I wanna write, so, sorry my dudes. Am I giving Suzaku too big of a role to play? Possibly. But just because he isn't that well-liked doesn't mean he deserved to be dunked on or shelved away.

Is Marrybell acting out of character for her introduction? I really can't tell you because there's no translated material from the end of the Oz manga and I can't find the Picture Drama or whatever anywhere. So I'll take some creative liberties in writing her and the spinoff characters in a way that fits who they're and also entertaining to read, or try to.

Thanks for supporting me and please keep on supporting me, because why would I tell you not to?


	9. The Phantom meme

**The Phantom meme**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Underground**

**One month after Lelouch's accession**

For the few times Suzaku transported himself from one realistic realm to another one not so palpable, he never truly appreciated the just how significant of a leap he was making. Even when he pressed his palm against the doors of C's World and felt the essence of his very being transferring to the other side. It was a mild irritation, nothing worthy of his attention.

Suzaku slowly emerged from the unearthly light and saw the same barren landscape that he familiarized with the World of C, nothing had changed about the rundown temple or the massive planet of Jupiter hanging so closely overhead. None of the backgrounds kindled an interest in the knight at all, the purpose of his covert visit was instead resting peacefully on a broken pillar staring into the abyss.

Suzaku crept nervously, almost afraid that a spike of volume in the atmosphere would shatter the wish he didn't believe was possible until he did the impossible.

"~Meow." Until Arthur leapt out of Suzaku's cuddle and alerted the meandering soul to his presence, he wasn't sure how long he remained standing there behind her shadow.

"Oh? Oh my! Meow? Meow, meow-meow! ~Meeeow…" Tracing the featherlike steps of the greyish feline through her vision, the ghost of Suzaku's past turned around to face him, her everlasting beauty never ceased to amaze. "And Suzaku too! How kind of you to see me here."

"Euphie… I thought Arthur would want to visit you too… after C.C. told me it'd be possible to bring him here."

"Thank you, Suzaku. The more the merrier, you see I don't have visitors too often these days."

"I-I'm… sorry I can't come too often… or else the others could get suspicious."

"I suppose they would… but I'm glad to have you and C.C.'s company."

Suzaku quelled the awful unease teeming on the verge of flooding onto his expression as he moved closer to catch more precious glimpses of Euphie's gorgeous features, which he wasn't ashamed to admit he missed for far too long. The young maiden waved for her knight to close their distance and join her atop the fallen column, after deliberation, he couldn't find the strength to step away.

"Euphie…" However, when Suzaku sat down beside Euphie, he was very conscious about putting a metre gap between them and never crossing over the invisible barrier he saw in his mind's eye.

"Tell me another story of the outside, what's everyone doing these days?"

"Princess Marrybell recently came to Pendragon, she's here on vacation…"

"Oh, Marry! Last I heard she's the Viceroy of Area Twenty-four, is it alright for her to leave her duties behind?" Euphie's bright smile beamed eagerness while a dose of worry was concealed in her tone. Quick on his feet, Suzaku calculated a fitting alteration to tag the tale he was telling.

"She said she left someone very competent in charge of the Area during her absence. The people say she's quite a remarkable ruler, I don't think it'd be a problem."

"That's good, I remember Marrybell when we were children, I always liked playing with her… it's too bad what happened to her family, I sure hope she has moved passed that."

Suzaku shook his guilt away as Euphie reflected on the happy memories of her childhood. There was no need for the naïve princess to know about the infamous nickname Marrybell inherited from her sister for the horrendous measures she employed to control the people of Spain. Especially since the Euphie before him would only laugh uncomfortably and dismiss it as a bad joke if Suzaku mentioned her final legacy drenched in blood.

— —

"_I can't give you a concrete answer, but my best guess in that the soul doesn't possess the same ability to retain memories as the body. So, she only remembers up to establishing the SAZ… not its outcome. Or, maybe she subconsciously blocked it out."_

"_Then… what exactly is she? Can I bring her out of here?_"

"_I'm sailing in the blind here as much as you're, Kururugi Suzaku. I'm not kidding when I said I've never seen anything like this before, or a Geass like yours, for that matter. If you want to do some experimentation to uncover the mystery of your power, be my guest. But don't try to bring the princess out of here, that's my advice._"

"_Wait, why not?_"

"_You- have you not tried… touching her?_"

— —

"Suzaku…? Aaah! You're zoning out again, aren't you!? Oh, geez! You never pay attention to what I'm saying!" Suzaku gathered his scattered thoughts by the time Euphie called him out for being so secluded in the realm of recollections.

"Sorry, I was… thinking about stuff…"

The Knight of Zero held back a rush of sadness as he studied his previous charge and her playful pout. It was strange to think about, for a week and a half after Suzaku managed to bring back Euphie from beyond the stars, he never once shed a tear, not of joy or sorrow. Although, maybe it wasn't too late to start feeling something more than disbelief for achieving the absurd.

Suzaku reached out his trembling hand, the unbearable desire for closeness overruled his clear understanding of the unfeasible nature of his actions. It was only thanks to Arthur's meow that halted his movement and when he looked down at the cat by Euphie's feet, he was reminded of the ill-fated result were his fingers to caress her cheeks.

"Meow?" Arthur tried to wrap itself around Euphie's ankles, but the cat phased through her. Like a cloud of mist on a foggy night, she was infinitely near to his heart, yet he could never grasp her.

"Arthur… it's okay, little friend. Even if I can't lift you up and hold you… I'll always be there for you…" Euphie smiled again, this time the edge of her lips quivered to maintain the façade of cheerfulness as she sniffed her runny nose.

"Euphie… I…"

"Why can't I remember? Why won't it come to me, Suzaku? I thought that if I wait long enough, I'll remember how it happened… but no matter what I do, I can't see beyond that day in the SAZ!"

"You don't have to remember, Euphie! It doesn't matter anymore, I'm happy to just be able to see you!" Even if it wasn't the entire truth embedded in Suzaku's heart, he believed it was what he needed to say at the moment.

"But it's not true, isn't it? I… I was unsuccessful in bringing peace to Japan… and for that, I've paid with my life. I… I'm sorry I couldn't accomplish what I set out to do. I've failed you, Suzaku… I've failed you."

"No-! That's-! it's not like that, Euphie! You… you did everything you could…! You tried your best, you really… you did." His digits were grabbing onto nothingness as he tried to comfort the lost princess, even holding back the tears that ran dry long ago was becoming increasingly difficult.

"… I'm sorry, it's my fault you're so miserable everyday… I left you so alone… it's not fair to you, I know… I'm so sorry… I couldn't be with you after making… you love me. You don't deserve this, Suzaku…!" Then, the tainted ghost cried all alone, her faithful knight dwelling in melancholy of their ironically tragic synopsis.

_Was it… all for nothing? Is this truly the extent of my power? Am I meant to take consolation in a reunion… or am I too greedy…? _Suzaku sealed himself back in the depths of his heart, avoiding the confrontation against the weight of Euphie's anguish. He had performed a miracle in the truest sense, yet the young knight was still unfulfilled by the scale of the phenomenon before his very eyes.

"Euphie… I won't give up… not after coming this far."

"What is there… to be done?"

"I don't know, but I'll find something- anything that can help you… that can let you be whole again." Sitting beside the disgraced princess lost in a purgatory Suzaku himself locked her in, the brown-haired teen whispered a determination to the love of his life as the previous mournful mood was shattered by the resolution to explore an unknown future.

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Imperial Palace**

"Okay, so like- you guys goofed making a sixty-feet pizza not once, but twice?"

"Yeah, you were there for the second time, remember?"

"Ohhhh… yeeeeah! But I didn't mess anything up, right? I dumped the tomato sauce just as instructed."

"And then someone activated the fire suppression system and blasted the entire pan with foam, kinda makes it hard to eat after that." Gino looked down at his own supper for the day, the horrid idea of a ruined Italian cuisine was demolishing his appetite.

"Oh, man! I totally thought that was a part of the show or something! But then, why did they… do that?"

"Because C.C.'s dumbass—" Kallen suddenly paused the recap of her cherished Ashford Academy chronicles when she realized it could potentially unveil some items from Lelouch's extensive vault of secrets. "Because C.C. is the retard controlling the stage pyrotechnics like an absolute twat."

"Wow, chill! You need to be careful about insulting the Emperor's first Imperial Consort like that, they can lock you up for it." Thanks to Gino's unwelcome reminder, Kallen hissed like a venomous snake just at the mention of her scandalous rival competing for Lelouch's affection.

"Alright, dude, I'mma stop this… this meme right now. C.C. isn't anyone's consort, or wife, or empress. None of that shit, she's just Lelouch's friend… like me, okay? I'm sick of hearing this Consort C.C. crap everywhere." Kallen voiced her unfaltering disagreement while shoving a spoonful of pudding into her mouth.

_I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous…_

The common misconception regarding the witch's relationship with the warlock spread like wildfire roughly a couple weeks after their first public appearance and it blazed to newer heights after Rivalz threw a massive celebration in Lelouch's name. Since the Knight of Ten wasn't brave enough to reveal her own undying love for the Emperor to the general public without risking implosion, it was getting on her nerves how the wise king never made a statement about C.C. himself. Not helped by the pizza woman's delight and validation whenever the rumour reached her ears.

"C'mon, Kallen. A lady shouldn't curse."

"Get fucked."

Gino blinked in shock, but he soon awkwardly laughed off Kallen's harsh words and returned to his food. The tall knight's reluctance to engage in a new conversation paired with the redhead's unwillingness to pick up the few openers he dropped soon turned their friendly ambience to an unpleasantly sour taste.

After however long the two unlikely pals ate in silence, something behind Kallen caught Gino's awareness and he abruptly swallowed the food before trying to speak.

"Kallen, quick, put on your mask!"

Kallen wasn't someone to misread a hint so obvious, she understood the severity of the Knight of Three's warning and extended her left arm for the Guy Fawkes mask she placed on the next chair over.

However, there was nothing for Kallen to grab when her hand reached for the white shield protecting her private identity. Instead, she caught a glimpse of someone else's fingers snatching away her most essential piece of equipment.

"-Remember, remember. The fifth of November, the gunpowder… treason and plot!" A sweet, tender voice rhythmed the verses of the mask's poem and its implications directly behind Kallen's ears. "I know of no reason why the Gunpowder treason… should ever be… forgot."

"Your Highness… would you give me that back?" Standing only inches away to her side, Princess Marrybell held the mask in front of her, inspecting its peculiar design and seemingly ignorant to Kallen's fuming request coated in humility.

"Only if you say 'please', my pretty." For a fraction of a second, Kallen saw a flash-forward to ten seconds in the future when she jammed her butter knife straight into Marrybell's throat.

_Okay… okay… new mood, new me. No more thinking about C.C._ However, that was a reality not meant to be. Kallen readjusted her raddled spirit, disposing of her unfair anger towards the joking girl even if that rascal deserved at least a slap across her cheeks. "Princess Marrybell, I sincerely ask you not to act this way. I'm rather averse to abrupt friendliness." Her harshness froze the Viceroy in place, albeit briefly.

"…Very well, Lady Stadtfeld. I was simply enthralled by how beautiful you are under the disguise I lost my sensible self. Do find it in your better self to forgive me." Marrybell smiled as she returned the mask to a suddenly flushed knight, it was a smile Kallen saw many times before, mostly on Lelouch's face whenever he tested the water of whoever he was dealing with.

"No harm done…"

"Your Highness, is there anything you'd like from us?" Gino also reacted to Marrybell's presence, his gaze shifted between the young princess and her accompanying knight in visor.

"Nothing comes to mind, to be honest. I'm hoping to relieve some of my childhood memories of the palace and wandered upon this cafeteria. And it has, in fact, reminded me not to skip supper, is it alright for us to join you two?" Kallen and her fellow knight shared a look, but somehow it felt like the blonde pilot wasn't on the same wavelength as her.

"Yeah, of course, Your Highness. Take a seat." Gino casually lifted his cape and jacket off the chair beside him for the Marrybell's mute guard. at the meantime, Kallen stole one more glance at the orange-haired commander but said nothing else.

"My gratitude, Sir Gino… Weinberg? And Lady Kallen Stadtfeld. If I may impose some more; would it be a bother if we address each other by our first names? I'm quite a klutz when it comes to remembering the latter."

"Sure, I don't really mind. But Kallen…" Gino was doing her no favours by tossing the beacon of attention her way.

"Why look at me? It's no big deal, don't worry about it." While still contemplating how to properly treat another member of the imperial bloodline, the Knight of Ten had to put on a frontage of neutrality and respect as dictated by her day job.

"Thank you, Lady Kallen. Again, allow me to apologize for touching your mask without permission, it's just that I couldn't resist making a fool out of myself." Kallen failed to decipher Marrybell's intentions behind behaving so bizarrely modest for a princess. The half-breed couldn't tell if her perspectives on royalties were so skewed beyond repair, or if Marrybell truly was a singularity in comparison to her siblings.

"Right, it's all good. Let's not worry about it." Marrybell relaxed her posture and slid into her seat.

For a bit, the four of them ate peacefully, and just a little bit awkwardly as nobody dared to voice a subject of discussion.

"Your Highness, wanna share some stories about Spain? You know, if you're feeling it." True to his character, it was Gino who first broke the ice.

"Oh, yes, of course. As the sovereign of Area Twenty-four, I am formally obliged to invite you wonderful knights to visit my munificent landscape. However, the reality is until recently; we've been trying to rein in some of the more unruly populace that disagrees destructively with my authority."

"What type of disagreement are we talking about here?" Despite being able to guess the state of Spain, the former terrorist was still strung by her morbid curiosity to peek at a fragment of her old self.

"People are naturally resistant to change; I can empathize with that. However, those who choose the bloody path to deliver their message of a futile rebellion are the ones I despicably condemn. I do not wish to speak in details, please understand. Just thinking about all the innocent lives so meaninglessly lost to a senseless act breaks my heart." Kallen replied a meek nod of coincidence, she understood looking back at her foolish past that violence for violence's sake never led to a prosperous end.

"But things are calming down now, have you fixed all your… problems?"

"Indeed so, I am able to successfully root out the weeds in my sumptuous garden. Although the work is far from finished, many assets are required for an Area's recuperation, the main factor being time. It is another reason I aimed to give myself and my knights a breather from the hectic bureaucracy that comes with the administration."

"Huh… so what about…—?"

Marrybell sipped on her tea decorously as she recounted many of her tales as the acting ruler of Area Twenty-four, she spared no detail both describing the many prosperity she gifted the people of Spain as well as her ruthless treatment to those whose goal was to see her burn.

"Man… it's pretty tough being a Viceroy, I never thought about it that hard." The Knight of Ten tagged on a comment at the end of Marrybell's story. Gino stared at her briefly with a sarcastic glint in his eyes.

"Very much so, my pretty. I'm glad someone here can lend an ear to my plight. If only we can all be so willing to coexist with one another instead of choosing such a terrifying means of communication."

_Goddamn… I'm such a fucking hypocrite, there's no way Ohgi would think I'm not brainwashed now. _After hearing in its entirety, a Britannian's viewpoint firsthand, Kallen reflected on the influence her current position and status had on her judgement juxtaposed to what she believed to be the iron truth a year earlier. It was almost easier to pretend to be under Lelouch's Geass for her not to be hit so hard by the whiplash of switching sides at the drop of a hat.

"Nonetheless, there's no need to speak about depressing topics the likes of this. Instead, let me ask both of you honourable lady and gentleman to accompany me during our stay at the capital. The Glinda Knights and I look forward to enjoying our vacation here!" Marrybell beamed off a new smile, this one was so candid and guileless it pierced Kallen's cautious prudence.

"Yeah, of course, Your Highness! What do Rounds do around here anyway?" Gino very excitingly agreed, leading the cheerful gazes to be shifted to Kallen.

"Lady Kallen, do you mind giving me the opportunity to know you better on the right footing?" Her artless expression proved to be a powerful weapon for the young commander, Marrybell seemed able to plant a seed of optimism in the hearts of everyone she met.

"Yeah… yeah, I guess. You're pretty alright, Princess Marrybell."

_Maybe I'm stupid… but is it wrong to hope that other princesses like Nunnally exist?_

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Knightmare development department**

**Two weeks after Marrybell's arrival**

"—I'm calling it, you two. It's over."

"—Wait! I'm still in it, I can take her down!" Marrybell studied the contorting countenance of her childhood friend in her Knightmare's cockpit, Oldrin was losing her composure at the same rate her frame was losing energy.

"—Lyre?" One vote in favour and one against, Marrybell sought the opinion of her nameless knight to tip the scale.

"—The difference in machine capability is too vast, Your Highness… and maybe the Devicer's expertise as well." Marrybell nodded at the projection of her talented fighter, whose verdict she valued in no less merit than hers or Oldrin's.

"—I'll say so too. If it hasn't happened by now, it won't. Cut your losses while your pride is still relatively intact, I'm not here to watch the Guren smash both of you into the ground, withdraw now."

"—Yes, Your Highness." A grumpy Oldrin scoffed at Marrybell, announcing her disapproval bluntly at the princess in charge. Her brother remained calm and collected as he always was, so rarely would he voice his objection these days.

"—AWACS Marrybell to Devicer 01, we concede. Ending simulation in one minute." Marrybell said after flicking to another channel connecting her microphone to the earpiece of her rental pilot.

"—Your pilots can't handle it, princess?" If Kallen was looking to boast, she had every right to.

"—…I'll see you in the hangar."

Letting out a fatigued groan, Marrybell felt herself age a decade over the span of two hours as she danced her fingers across the keyboard and terminated the simulation. Soon afterwards her two most proficient knights exited from the test chambers and met her by the hangar hosting the actual Knightmares they duplicated during the mock battle.

"You two did your best, really. It's not your fault, I'm proud of you two for lasting this long against a Round and a ninth-generation Knightmare." Marrybell tried her best at comforting her two old friends without coming off as an insincere or weak-minded commander.

"You didn't believe in me, Marry. I could've taken her down." Oldrin refused to meet her princess' eyes and instead stepped forward directly under the Lancelot HighGrail, the seething young noble raised her thumb up to her teeth and bit down on her digit through her glove.

"That's not fair Oz- Oldrin, the match was decided when the Guren combusted your sword." Marrybell followed Oldrin into the Lancelot's crooked shadow, she tried to drape her arms over the shoulders of her childhood friend for a hug.

"Don't touch me!" However, Oldrin yelled as she slapped away the hands offering consolation, another angst-filled glare deterred Marrybell from repeating her sympathy. "Ju-just… stay away, stay away from me."

"Oldrin…!"

Someone else's grip tugged the princess away from the wordlessly fuming knight, Marrybell turned around to be confronted by the visor of her equally treasured Devicer.

"Marrybell, give her some time alone." Disheartened, Marrybell allowed herself to be dragged away from the silent Oldrin and her personal Knightmare.

"Lyre… you're her twin brother, can't you convince her to stop acting like this?" Area Twenty-four's Viceroy took her hesitant hands up to the shades covering the bright eyes of her loyal pilot, but they were stopped for the second time that day.

"That's… not who I am right now."

"Please, Orpheus… you're the one I need right now. It hurts so much… to have her push me away like this." Letting gravity take hold of her body, Marrybell collapsed onto Orpheus' arms for the young lad to hold her in an intimate embrace.

"You're asking her to forgive you for what you've done while also hurting her with what you've planned on doing."

"It's my punishment, my atonement to you both… I'll let you two have my life once I walk my due in these silver shoes." Marrybell murmured as she buried her face in his chest, hiding away an ugly grimace she didn't want the world to see.

"…Marrybell, the red woman is here." Once her minute of warmth had run its course, Orpheus prompted her to fulfil the duty she must still to carry out.

"-Urrr… I can come back later if you want, you guys can keep doing your… thing." Kallen consciously called out from somewhere afar once she saw the compromising situation Marrybell presented. The orange-haired princess starkly sniffed away the last bits of her sentiments before departing from her guardian's care.

"No, I apologize for showing you such a shameful display. Please, do forgive me, Kallen." When Marrybell came face to face with the Knight of Ten, she already donned her infrangible mask of a gentle royalty.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not interested in growing rumours. Anyway, I trust you won't be running amok knowing what you know?"

"Of course not. The deceitful cocoon of your previous self is of no concern to me, she who stands before me is an honourable knight to the throne and a protector of justice. Moreover, if Lelouch trusts you to watch his back, who am I to disagree?" Pridefully acknowledging Kallen's old identity, Marrybell held no ill-intent when she proclaimed how the redhead's virtuous new allegiance with Britannia was all she cared about.

"A-alright- cool… hey, if you need a sparring partner just call me up anytime. I'll be happy to fly the Guren for you, not like there's a lotta occasion for me to do that nowadays." Kallen said slightly clumsily, not used to Marrybell's vivacious attitude.

"As you wish, I'm indebted to your boundless generosity for letting my knights test themselves against the Black Knight's ace in the flesh. It's an exotic opportunity being able to engage the worst nightmare of our military in a safe and controlled environment. Your reputation indeed precedes you, Kallen. I feel privileged as the commander of the Glinda Knight to be able to witness your flair."

"Oh- that's really- really, thanks… errm… your people were very good too, I mean." Once more, Kallen was visibly flustered by Marrybell's high praises. She ran her delicate fingers through her scorching red hair and flung them upwards in a feral yet docile display of her feminine beauty.

_Lord… if only I still have the heart left to appreciate that womanly allure. Brother, you're a big gay for nothing jumping on her._ Marrybell proceeded to chuckle inwardly, mostly at herself but also just a little bit at Lelouch.

"We'll share any data we gathered over the course of this simulation, think of it as our admission fee."

"Great, thanks. I'm not the guy to talk to about this, but Earl Asplund is probably gonna have a field day with it."

"Wonderful, do you have any feedback for my two elite knights during the simulation?" With her usual hospitable smile, Marrybell asked.

"Err… they're not bad at all, pretty good, in fact. I don't wanna talk down to anyone just because I'm a Round, although I guess the red Lancelot with the capes is a bit headstrong and the red-black Vincent is a bit too… methodical, maybe."

"I understand, I'll inform Oldrin and Lyre about your criticisms, thank you." Kallen shot a fleeting look past Marrybell towards her masked pilot. Without seeing for herself, the pink-haired leader read from the ex-Black Knight's expression that Orpheus didn't muster a response.

"Well, you need me for anything else?"

"I do have one question. Have you heard anything of the Knight of Nine?"

"The lime-haired woman, right? What's her name… Notteee?"

"Nonette Enneagram." Marrybell considered cringing at the butchered pronunciation from Kallen only to remember Oldrin made the same joke when they first met.

"Right, that one. I think she's with Schneizel right now, Gino and the rest said that it was the last time they saw each other."

"I see… this may be an unreasonable request, however… if you two were meet in battle…" Kallen raised a hand to pause Marrybell's predictable behest, she thrashed around a bit under her cloak to scratch an itch before readjusting herself and her clothes.

"I'm not gonna make promises I can't keep, just so you know. If there comes a situation where I can let her live, I will. But don't blame me if she refuses to surrender her arms and ends up dead."

"…Understandable, it's the best I can do for Nonette anyway." Marrybell found herself sighing a lot recently, the cause of her frustration somehow escaped her as she shook away her concern for the acquaintance she used to care for.

"A-anyway, if you got nothing going on, princess. Wanna grab a bite to eat?" To cure the atmosphere from growing stale, Kallen proposed a suggestion that brought forth a soft chuckle out of the princess.

"Darling, you certainly have a fascinating mind. And to invite me instead of my handsome brother? Am I suppose to pick up some hints from this behaviour?"

"Huh- no, it's not like that! I just-! Me and Lelouch, we are… we both have a lot of things to deal with, he's probably too busy anyway." The young knight was surely caught off-guard by the Viceroy's observant comments, Kallen fumbled to get her thoughts coherent as to solve the misunderstanding at her earliest convenience.

"~Ahaha… then I shan't hunt further… for now. However, if you're ever in need of a consultant to some of your more romantic predicaments, let it be known that I am somewhat of an expert when it comes to… interactivity between individuals." If Marrybell was any less of a woman, she definitely wouldn't be harbouring such devious thoughts on the lovestruck Knight of Ten.

"…Right, right… let's just go eat foodies."

"Let us." Marrybell said, ready to depart the hangar.

"Your knights, they aren't coming with?" When Marrybell followed Kallen out the door unperturbed , she voiced her concern for the two Glinda Knight aces.

"Oldrin and Lyre… prefer not to spend time with me outside of duty."

"Is it something personal… or?"

"I… used to be with Oldrin, but then I was with Lyre… and now it's all an awkward mess." Marrybell casually muttered a half-truth carrying a massive insinuation.

"Oh… sorry about that- wait- hold on, what?"

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Emperor's private chamber**

The clock struck twelve, signalling midnight.

"Lu… Lelouch…! What happened…! Between you and Kallen when you two… went on that vacation…?"

"-Hah…! Are you actually- asking me this right now…?"

"Just… tell me, or I won't keep going…"

"…Damn you- witch, what happened back then is happening right now… you can see how the situation might turn… unpleasant if you bring up such a topic!"

"Fine, my bad… but don't you dare lie to me, boy. You know you like it when I do this to you…"

— —

"I don't need to remind you to keep this under the table."

"No, Mistress."

"Don't hog this all for yourself, yeah?" C.C. slid a hundred-dollar bill into the breast pocket of the head maid Lelouch summoned to clean up their late-night mess. The Britannian servant gratefully nodded before taking an elegant bow and disappearing along with her posse of lesser maids.

C.C. shut the master bedroom door behind the cleanup crew and loosened the bath towels swaddling her pristine figure to a chair nearby. She climbed on top of the newly laid sheets, taking in their refreshing smell before pulling the blankets over her body. The silence of another ordinary day washed over her, the witch's creativity was set free to picture an eternity just like today.

The dim light rays shooting in from her peripheral vision notified C.C. of Lelouch's arrival. "Enjoyed your long shower, Your Majesty?" Her tease was true on the mark for how long the king liked to spend in the washroom almost daily.

"As much as a woman like you enjoyed creeping into my room tonight." Lelouch's retort stunned C.C. out of the blue, especially since they mutually agreed to never strike a low-blow by mentioning their physical reliance on each other.

"…Come back to bed, my liege." C.C. insisted, she lifted a corner of the cover for Lelouch to sneak under. He wearily followed soon after taking off his bathrobe.

"I didn't… mean to say that, sorry if I came off that way." Lelouch humbly apologized once a period of refined silence came and gone.

"It's alright, I'm sorry too for asking you about her when we were… so engaged. Did I ruin it?"

"No, you are still… C.C., I guess. I just didn't want to think about that at the moment. What made you bring up that topic out of nowhere?" C.C. flipped over and brought herself only inches away from Lelouch's adoring stare, her lips only inches away from his own.

"I… what we were doing just reminded me of it. The report from the Knight of Twelve read that until her surveillance ended with the two of you entering the hotel, your mood was very happy. So, something must've happened in there. Besides, you wouldn't have let me in tonight if there's nothing going on between you two."

"…Kallen is- well, she's a bit like you…"

"In bed?" After C.C.'s question, Lelouch's paced breathing took a short pause.

"Yeah, she was great… amazing at the start, but she doesn't… well, she's a virgin… and—"

"-She thought you were one as well?" Again, The Emperor was slow on his response.

"Yeah."

"And then what happened?"

"I thought to tell her everything, between us and… everything we've done together. She deserves to know the truth." Hearing Lelouch's honest confession, C.C. mused inwardly how such a genius strategist would choose to be such a bonehead.

"What did she say?"

"It's complicated, I don't really know what she wants, and neither does she, I suspect. Kallen is smart intellectually, maybe not so emotionally." Was C.C. supposed to laugh at Lelouch's oblivious irony? She couldn't decide.

"Lelouch, we talked about this before, but I don't want myself to hinder your pursuit for that woman. You love her, and you should make it obvious so."

"I… I know how I feel, but in time, it won't matter…" Of course, C.C. couldn't forget the dripping sand continued to flow in the hourglass of destiny.

"You know that you have time. In fact, the world can be put on hold if you so choose. The only one who even wants to push you along is Suzaku, and he's busy with his Geass project."

"Zero Requiem… is my punishment, my atonement to the world." Over her countless years and unnumbered deaths. C.C. never felt as powerless as she did when Lelouch still refused to welcome his own future.

"Lelouch… you don't have to do this, please…"

"I don't wanna talk about it… we've been through this so many times now, C.C. If there's any other way, I'd be willing to reconsider."

"Why not just rule the world as is? Can the most powerful man in the world not shape its outcome?"

"Peace in our time will always be a mere illusion, nothing can change that, not even Zero Requiem."

"Then why—!"

"Because people will not accept peace if it's forced upon them! Brittle and fleeing the peace will be if we do not struggle for the right to prosper. And it is the role of a hateable antagonist to stand in the way of that struggle." Leaving that as his last remark, Lelouch tossed and turned away from C.C.'s vision.

The ambience of the noiseless midnight only worsened C.C.'s anxiety as she felt the scorching passion for her most unique contractor lying within an arm's reach, yet at the same time a world apart. She sealed her eyes and dived into herself, seeking for answers she knew she didn't have.

_Am I still the same weak woman in the end…? Unable to change the fate of a single man… is this the price I have to pay for finding my humanity? This… staking pain in my heart?_ On the verge of tears too foreign for C.C. to recognize, she tugged the blanket higher up to her face and wiped away a few drops leaking out of her floodgate.

_Marianne, what would you have done if I told you your son is martyring himself for the sake of the world? Marianne… my friend, why must you be gone from my life… the only time I ever ask you for help? _Strangely, it was only when C.C. allowed herself to be vulnerable and feeble, was she finally able to feel the weakness of humanity often despised.

— —

**Author's note**

A pretty nothing chapter, but it's just something that's gotta happen.

I didn't want to snap my fingers and make Euphemia come back alive. I think that it's better for Suzaku to put in a bit of work for the Deus ex Machina. So the subplot with Euphemia will continue for the foreseeable future, or is it the main plot? I don't even know.

I do have an actual question though, in the show we see that someone under the influence of Lelouch's Geass has the red ring around their eyes. Is that a visual metaphor or an actual symptom? So are other characters supposed to see the red ring in someone else's eye if they're Geassed? I'm leaning towards no; since it's never brought up, but let me know your opinion.

Replying to Marche V's chapter five review talking about if Zero Requiem will work or not: Yeah, I think at least it'll bring peace for however long was shown at the end of the series. Peace can't last forever, that makes sense, but Zero Requiem should bring a longer period of peace than most events that have happened in our world.

I didn't comb through this chapter as thoroughly as I normally do, so just let me know if you spot a mistake somewhere. As always, thanks for taking a look and hopefully it's not so cringe that you commit roof dive on the spot.


	10. What is this, a crossover episode?

**What is this, a crossover episode?**

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Underground**

**One month, two weeks after Lelouch's accession**

A familiar light welcomed her to a realm she frequently visited, nowadays more often than usual. In the same grim temple housing the massacre princess of Britannia, C.C. could discern the distinct rhythm of distant music in the air as she walked casually towards the only corner of C's world where a touch of humanity retained its marvel.

"~…And driving down the road I get a feeling- that I should have been home yesterday~… yesterday~…! Country roads…~ take me home~! To the place~ I belong~!" Not too far away, C.C. saw the source of the music and a pink figure dancing gracefully to the beat.

Her back was turned away from the entrance, letting the pair of stereo speakers blast apart her non-existent eardrums while she swayed her barely able body to the tune of the soothing song and sung along terribly, slurring half of the lyrics together. It wasn't until Euphemia did a swivel around and caught sight of C.C.'s presence that she suddenly dropped her embarrassing dance and furiously blushed a deep red.

"-AHH! C-C-C- Miss C.C.! Y-you spooked me there, jeez!" Hiding a devious smirk beneath her friendly smirk, the immortal only shook her head at the princess's childish behaviour.

"Girl… cringe."

"Oh, thank you very much for that opinion then!" Euphemia said as she cutely pouted. She tidied up her hairdo and straightened out a few wrinkles on her dress before turning back to the device playing her country song. "-Nelly, please pause. But add that song to my… let's say, third favourite list, thank you." And the volume immediately died down.

"Must be really lonely in here if you're naming your phones."

"It's so true! I can only play around with voice-controlled devices and watch tv, there isn't even internet here!"

"That tends to be the case in purgatory, be glad your mouth and eyes still work the way they used to."

"I mean… I guess." Euphemia moaned sadly, she let herself slump down over a plain mattress. Not that it mattered what material she laid on, the only things she seemed capable of interacting with were gadgets with audio input and the floor.

"It's not all that bad, you can watch all the movies and tv shows you want, see? I brought you the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy." C.C. stepped through the transparent ghost and plugged a disk drive into Euphemia's computer, the layer of dust coating her keyboard served as another cue to the pink-haired girl's disabilities.

"Thanks, truly lavishing in my life of indulgence, I am."

"Put up with it a bit longer, we're working on finding a way to bring a generator in here."

"But I don't wanna put up with being in here! I wanna… I want to…" Euphemia's temper tantrum was stopped as soon as she realized her jest hit too close to home.

"Euphemia… do the deceased deserve another chance at living?" C.C. splashed a dose of her cold dilemma on the souring mood, putting their false sense of happiness back into the toy box labelled optimism.

"I'm too biased of a person to ask that, aren't I?"

"You and me both, girl. But that's why it's something you should decide. As the saying goes; if there's a will…" The princess elegantly twirled to her feet; her previous playful spirit blown away by the seriousness of C.C.'s attitude.

"Even if I deserved death, I still want to live. Not for my sake… but for Suzaku. I know my life ended in disgrace and tragedy, I can tell from yours and his reluctance to speak of it. Therefore, if I must live with my tarnished name, then the world shall call me so. If I must tread to the depth of the abyss, I will do so if it means I can be there for him." Euphemia's expression hardened; the aura of an imperial princess returned.

"You believe in the miracle of love?"

"I do." She replied without missing a beat.

"Heh, then so will I. Love overcoming all obstacles is a trope for the ages, but then again, I've learned to appreciate a flair for the dramatic." C.C. exposed her exotic smile for the Emperor's dead sister. She pondered to herself the mystery behind the universe's sense of humour at twice letting her see someone else's dead lover.

"So… is there anything you can do?"

"I'm going away with Suzaku for a bit, you won't see us for about a week."

"Sounds fun. Where're you guys going?"

"Europe, there's a place where a lot of my old research is kept. We're thinking that maybe it'll help us further our understanding of your current state of being, as well as Suzaku's power. Hopefully, there's something that'll make you whole again, little miss." As her reply, a heartwarming smile landed over Euphemia's features and beamed a ray of joy into the grumpy immortal.

_Maybe Suzaku's obsession over the princess wasn't so erroneous after all._

"…~Country roads…~ take me home~!"

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Knightmare development department**

**Two days after C.C. went on vacation**

Kallen ran her fingers over the slick surface of the crimson Guren, her sight darted across the armoured giant, seeking spots of dirt or dust the mechanics missed during their inspection. When she found no marks of decay dirtying her treasured war machine, the satisfied soldier leapt off the shoulder of her Knightmare and nailed a five-metre drop with ease.

"Thank you again for coming by and testing out the modifications, Dame Kallen."

"No problem, Miss Cécile. Thank you and team Camelot for keeping her in top condition."

"We never got the chance to ask you. How do you rate the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements?"

"It's honestly an eleven out of ten, I absolutely love it." Kallen combed her hair hastily. Cécile saw her light brashness and smiled gently.

"I'm glad to be of service, it prides me to see the S.E.I.T.E.N. utilized by such a talented Devicer like yourself."

"Thanks, I mean it. You and Lloyd saved my life during the battle of Tokyo. Maybe not intentionally, but I wouldn't have made it out alive without the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N." It was a bit unfortunate the short-lived Flight-Enabled Guren never received the spotlight it deserved, although Kallen imagined its spirit lived on as its bulkier winged self.

"Well, thank God everything ended up working out. Otherwise, we'll be court-martialed for failing to prevent the enemy from requisitioning our prototype… I was really scared for a whole week… ahaha…" Cécile's mouth might be laughing, but her eyes were definitely shuddering at the horror of being locked away or worse.

"Oh man, that reminds me of when Lelouch first arrived in the Shinkirō, I saw you do a double-take and looking totally mortified. Don't feel too ashamed though, that's the least bad reaction I seen of someone who just realized Zero's identity." It wasn't an everyday occurrence to grasp the fact that the person asking for the Britannia throne was actually an intentional vigilante and an infamous military commander.

"Yeah, that was… an experience, for sure. I still sometimes jump out of my bed in the middle of the night, rushing to write down a new idea for an attachment to counter the Radiant Wave Surger or pierce the Absolute Defense Field."

"Right, I guess it isn't easy working behind a computer. Sorry for all the trouble we caused you before, must be hard letting go of past grudges." Kallen gravely remarked. After all, she used to be renowned for her hatred of Britannia.

"Please don't worry about it. We've done our fair share of harm to your people as well. In the end, it's the war at fault, not the soldiers." Cécile so slightly dipped her chin, a hint of regret lingered in her eyes.

"I agree, water under the bridge."

"Let bygones be bygones" The Knight of Ten and the Knightmare developer shared a knowing look, both parties concurred that no good could come from feuding over history.

"Anyway, for the Guren modification I tested out earlier, what was that about?" Hearing Kallen's inquiry, Cécile immediately lit up in excitement. She tapped around on her touchscreen tablet at an incredible speed before sharing the image of the Guren's blueprint with its pilot.

"We're trying to reduce the weight and size of the Radiant Surger to make it compatible with standard Knightmare handheld equipment, maybe design it so the right arm can transform between a default mode for regular usage and a Radiation Wave mode." True to her claim, Kallen examined a few slides of Guren's signature claw, each reducing in size.

"So like- you're trying to make it a Lancelot that's also red."

"Rather crude way of putting it, Dame Kallen, but not too far from the truth. Our goal is to eventually mass-produce the Guren's technology and make it available for all Britannian Knightmares."

"Ohhh, I'm not sure how much I'd like that. I won't feel so special if everybody is flying around one of these." Kallen half-seriously joked, her mild questioning frown told the scientist of her actual opinion.

"Standardization only serve to streamline the production cycle and increase unit output, I'm sure you'll be happy to have replacement gear ready to go on the battlefield." Kallen briefly recalled back to her midair upgrade from Type-two to Flight-Enabled, it wasn't a half-bad thrill ride.

"I see, that's fine, I guess. I'm not actually stopping you guys. You geeks have your fun with it." Receiving the Knight of Ten's approval, Cécile offered a quick bow of respect and gratitude. "Hold on, what's this… thing you're adding to the Guren's back?" Kallen scanned the blueprints again, noticing something new.

"Ah, yes. We're adding a retractable cape to it. It's purely cosmetic, but sometimes presentation can be just as important as capabilities, right?" Cécile playfully voiced her pitch and winked, revealing a more relaxed side of the young researcher.

"…That's pretty awesome, I'd appreciate that." Kallen just couldn't say no to a bold fashion statement like this one. "You seem to have your hands full with just the Guren, are you guys doing fine? If you need any additional manpower you can always let me know."

"Thanks for your kindness, Dame Kallen. Despite how it looks we aren't that busy these days, time of peace doesn't stimulate militaristic advances, after all. Although I could use Lloyd's help with the Gawain, I can't handle all the system configs by myself." Cécile's casual conversation with Kallen brought up two points of interest for the red-haired knight.

"Then where's the Earl of Pudding? I haven't seen that cheeky bastard ever since he tried to paint the Percival back to white."

"He went with the Avalon to Europe, saying stuff about a great opportunity to test out the new Long-Range Remote Access system… we don't even know what Suzaku is doing there, for God's sake!" Through their repeated interactions, Kallen viewed Cécile as a kind-hearted Rakshata that never was.

"Yeah, that tends to happen with him these days. Anyway, what's this about the Gawain? I'm a bit curious."

"Right, if you wanna follow me, I'll show you right now." Once Kallen nodded in consent, the blue-eyed scientist led her to the hangar next door.

At the same second the two floodlights blasted their radiance on the Knightmare front and centre secured in its harness, Kallen instantly felt enveloped by memories of the good days gone. The sight of the nostalgic Gawain reminded her of a Lelouch who was so beloved by the Black Knights of yore, a Suzaku who had yet to grow jaded and uncaring after Euphemia's death; and herself, who still held on so fondly to the dreams of Japan's former glory.

"…Gawain… but it's not really, is it?" However, just like her memories were cherry picked from the best moments in her life. The machine before her only resembled Zero's first aerial Knightmare.

"No. Emperor Lelouch ordered us to rebuild the Gawain with Shinkirō's armaments. So far, other than components both Knightmares share like the Druid System and Float Unit, we're able to fit the defense shield, the Slash Harkens on the fingers and the Hadron Cannons on the wrist. Things like the Fortress Mode is being worked on, but its main weapon, the Phase Transition beam is proving to be difficult to fit in… you don't really care, do you?" Kallen could swear she had never fallen asleep faster in her life than this.

"Sure, sure, definitely not a snore. So what is its actual name? Please name it something stupid… like the Ga-kirō… or the Shin-wain—"

"-I was thinking of calling it the Gawain Galatine, but I see you've completely elapsed me in intelligence, Kallen." Could it be anyone else other than Kallen's most obnoxiously lovable boyfriend, she didn't even have to guess.

"Oh, my- I mean, Your Majesty, welcome!"

"Miss Cécile, good day."

As the generous Emperor exchanged pleasantries with the beautiful developer, Kallen uninhibitedly dodged to the sidelines, keeping her conspicuous presence at an all-time low. Time and time again, Lelouch's calming gaze meant for Cécile would find its way into Kallen's sight just as she peeked over at the pair's discussion, causing either party to break away awkwardly and a tint of pink to grace the Devicer's cheeks.

_God, it is me? Am I making this whole thing way more difficult than it has to be? I gotta think of some way to apologize… what to say, what to say! _Thousands of ideas for an icebreaker zapped through her mind at the vision of Lelouch, almost all of them equally embarrassing and none of them enjoyable. The pair of king and knight had eluded each other ever since the first arrival of Marrybell, and that situation was as far from personal as possible.

"-…Kallen, do you have a bit?" Out of nowhere, Lelouch confronted his unprepared Q-1.

"Oh- Your Majesty, I- I was just…" Kallen spun herself around at sonic speed to answer Lelouch's beckon, fast enough to whip her nose with a loose strand of her own hair and brighten her already glowing blush.

"Kallen, we're the only ones here right now. I've sent Miss Cécile away." So he claimed, not like Kallen was in any state of mind to check the validity of their privacy.

"Right, so like… should we talk about that thing… you know, the thing?"

"We should… probably, we should."

Except they didn't speak, at all. Not for a whole minute when the two teenagers just remained uncomfortable under their skin.

"-Look, I—"

"-Listen—"

The cumbersome atmosphere was only worsened when Lelouch and Kallen clumsily tried to announce their feelings at the same time, sending both of them back to the starting line.

"You… can go ahead, ladies first."

"Right, okay…! I just wanna say- err… I'm really sorry for making everything so weird after that night in Tokyo. And- err… especially since I'm the one who engaged first- well, not engage but-! I just- you know what I mean! I shouldn't have gotten on your case for having done it with C.C. before me! That was really immature and I'm sorry!"

Kallen was one fluster away from a total mental shutdown as she spilt out all of her inner monologue in a single massive unorganized spew. From the smile hanging off Lelouch's lips and her own burning sensation of embarrassment, the panicking girl knew the colour of her face had been set to a hot red.

"Kallen… I've forgotten how adorable you can be sometimes." Following his comforting words, the gorgeous monarch leaned in for a hug.

Kallen allowed her one true love to pull her unsteady body closer for a homely embrace, feeling the connection of the flesh with her beloved king banished all the convoluted processes running in her head. Kallen couldn't help but be taken in by Lelouch's warmth, to be given a break from the entanglements of their emotion's complicated affairs. The sensation of loss almost immediately saddened her as Lelouch finally pulled free from the arms that warped around his shoulders and stared directly into her sapphire lens.

"I must also apologize for keeping the truth from you… Kallen. C.C. is a very important person in my life. Without her, there might not be the Black Knights, the UFN, and I'd never been able to meet you."

"I know… of course I know that. She's been there for you when I couldn't, she has done more for your cause than I ever could. Ace pilots are rare, sure; but the power of Geass is a once in a lifetime, right? And she really is beautiful, I don't fault anyone for wanting to be with her." Kallen briefly recalled her many confrontations with the witch in white over the years, the hints and clues were all there pointing directly at the truth.

"Kallen, I don't want you to think that way. You're just as essential to everything I am as C.C. Geass alone isn't enough to change the world order, without you there I wouldn't have accomplished anything."

"Right, obviously… I knew that too, I'm not questioning your feelings for me, it just… I dunno. Sometimes I go like- 'what do you mean Lelouch doesn't have time to go shopping with me?' and then I remember you're busy ruling over one-third of the world. I just need to get adjusted to it, and having a fight with you over who we- we had… sex with first isn't very adult-like."

"Again, I apologize for—"

"-No, no, stop that! It really isn't your fault at all! Your apology just makes me feel worse, I don't wanna be a shitty girlfriend with a shitty attitude. So why don't we just forget all about this awkward month we had and go back to being who we are normally, you know?" At that suggestion, Kallen smiled ecstatically for Lelouch.

"So, an Emperor and his knight at day who keeps their relationship private at night?"

"Something like that… yeah." Striking a fair balance between being his Empress or being his enemy, Kallen wasn't too bothered by the secrecy of their bond if it meant she could stay by Lelouch's side. "And don't let me stop you from pursuing C.C., I feel you deserve her for everything that's happened."

"Of course, I will- wait… sorry, come again?" For the first time in forever, Kallen was able to imprint the sight of Lelouch's disbelieving gawk with his lips apart in shock to her memory.

"I mean it, it's okay if you can't let her go. I've consulted a bunch with… well, mostly by myself and came to this decision mostly on my own. I love you, Lelouch, and I want you to be happy. I also like C.C. enough to not mind her company. So, I won't have any issues if you wanna find yourself a couple more wives or whatever… actually, please don't go wild like the last Emperor with over a hundred consorts… that'll make me uncomfortable…"

"Kallen… that's…" Through his open mouth, Lelouch squeezed out nothing more than the professional Devicer's name.

"Please, you know- make me your number one… person? As long as you value me, I won't cry about you fancying some other girl. Imperial privileges and all that, but if you ever officially marry someone… you know, me first." Without running her stream of consciousness by her logical brain, Kallen found it not even that difficult to divulge all of her deep dark desires; her furiously rosy cheeks notwithstanding.

"But I was- I planned on breaking it off with C.C… since I thought I knew how much you didn't appreciate it." There was a crisp layer of irony for Kallen to notice when Lelouch spoke his original intention. If she wasn't in such a rush to conclude the topic at hand, she could have bargained herself a far more lucrative deal than what she proposed.

"That's-! No, no! My mind is made up! It's fine, it's all fine for me! You should do what you want when it comes to… comes to romance and whatever, we'll make it work!"

"Oh… I see… I didn't take you for someone who is such… such a…"

"Such a cuckquean?"

"-No! Not at all, not at all what I meant! I'm just surprised by your willingness to… to be so open and progre— -I didn't expect that from you, Kallen."

"I guess… maybe I've hung out with Kaguya for too long. But let's stop questioning my willingness and openness and whatever, shall we? I think you deserve a lucky break after everything that's happened." Immediately, Lelouch sheepishly nodded, knowing further debate regarding Kallen's strange acceptance wouldn't earn him any goodwill.

"Of course, so then… what to do now?" Lelouch asked, quite a while later.

"You wanna… kiss and make up?"

"Or… we can always do more." That was a good suggestion if she ever heard one.

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Poland, Warsaw countryside**

**Three days since C.C. departed for Europe**

"-Zero to Avalon, Zero to Avalon. Scheduled comms check, confirm." Suzaku spoke into earpiece as he kept both hands steady on the wheel of the Humvee.

"-Avalon, keep us on scanners at all times. Be ready to for my long-range acquisition signal, what's the ETA?"

While Suzaku continued talking boring military nonsense to the operator floating a couple of hundred kilometres away, C.C. was growing more and more agitated by those small disparities between her reminiscence of Poland's outskirts and the scenery flying by the windshield. Even if it had been almost twenty years since she last treaded a track across these wilted lands, for a certain period of her life Europe had been her home and she was nagged by her inability to remember.

_I hated this place… this country… there's nothing but torment for me here._

"-C.C., we're entering uncharted lands. Take a look." Pulling the immortal away from her daydream, Suzaku slowed the jeep to a crawl as they came to a split on the untended roads.

"…Hold on, I know this place." When the memories of an abandoned life came back to her in flashes of recognition, C.C. laughed at herself inwardly for almost letting a grin slip away.

"That's good, where to?"

"Take a left here, go straight for about two klicks… and we should be there." Suzaku nodded and quickly drove onwards.

"I actually been here once, Europe, I mean." Entertained by The Knight of Zero's poor attempt at initiating a chit-chat, C.C. devilishly thought of ways to tease the unsuspecting young driver.

"Oh yeah? Do you mean the time when you and a Geassed Lelouch came here to help the Euro Britannia forces and instead got exposed and caught? I heard about that, funnily."

"…I don't know why I talk to you." In a short second, Suzaku transformed his neutral smile to an uncaring scowl which told C.C. she nailed a sensitive spot in the Japanese Devicer's heart.

"…Sorry, I guess all the stuff that happened hasn't been easy. You're doing a great job staying positive, I'll admit it. Euphemia will appreciate it once she comes back." Suzaku shot a glance her way before returning his focus on the path ahead, his wrinkled brow slowly mellowed out until the lukewarm frown was no more.

"I… I'm doing everything I can to be happy for Euphie, I want to welcome her back with a smile on my face. And I'm finding more good reasons to be happy, we came so far in understanding the World of C, understanding this Geass. But I'm just… so worried at the same time, failure is the scariest when you don't know the consequences."

C.C. ransacked her mind's dictionary but came up empty on words that could be used to comfort Suzaku. They both understand perfectly how impossible the task they had set out to achieve was. Betting everything on the last remnant of the Geass Order in their old European base for the hopes of finding a way to understand Suzaku's power and the nature of souls even C.C. couldn't decipher. However, Euphemia's old knight had grasped at straws for however long to finally find one with a ray of hope tied to the other end, even the witch herself was growing uneasy at the prospect of endless possibilities.

"It'll work, Suzaku. We'll revive your little girlfriend."

"I hope so, it is something I'm rather looking forward to."

— —

The muddy tracks paved over by nature's regrowth came to a rocky stop, the Humvee steadily crushed the fallen leaves of autumn under its heavy tires as Suzaku pulled the handbrake. After unbuckling her seatbelts, C.C. set foot onto the uneven terrain she used to visit often over a decade ago. The vastly greener landscape earned a musing sigh out of the former director to the Geass Cult, it wasn't a trip down memory lane she ever planned to visit.

"We should be close, it's somewhere around here."

"Then I'll leave the rest of the pathfinding to you." Suzaku slammed shut the door of their armoured vehicle, scaring a flock of birds to fly free from the dense forest surrounding them.

The two strode in reverent quietness, surveying the earth's wonders in minuscule details that neither of them had the time to appreciate until now. From the grassy moss spreading over the husk of a rusting abandoned car to the brief sightings of the wildlife flickering by as it disappeared into the lofty army of trees, they were almost tempted to forget the pretext of their trip and simply enjoy pure freedom from society.

"Hold on… I can hear voices, coming from our… ten O'clock." It was Suzaku who first broke the silence, his relaxed stance stiffened in preparation as his prepared to react to the slightest motion.

Distinguishing itself from the ambient chirps of the animals rustling about, there was a source of noises further up the path towards C.C.'s old residence. To her ears the sound of the strangers were joyous and carefree, all the sorrows of the real world filtered out by the laughter that echoed blissfully across the forest.

"Boy… calm down, they're just locals."

"You said this place is supposed to be uninhabited."

"Twenty years ago, maybe. I can't control where hippies want to make their home." C.C. commented, pretending to be nonchalant on the outside but discreetly annoyed on the inside by the burden of dealing with unrelated witnesses.

"You're right, let's go have a look. Make sure to cover your face."

Following the Knight of Zero's lead, C.C. draped her scarf up high around her necks, up to her nose and pulled over the hood of her hiking jacket. Suzaku modestly checked his sidearm concealed by the plain cloak hiding the holster and a humbler version of the Rounds uniform, whether it was humble enough to dissuade others from casting suspicion his way was another problem entirely.

Upon approach, C.C. saw a set of tracks not so ancient leading into a sizable open field dug out by horse-powered carriages and mobile homes dismounted from the pickup trucks parked nearby. Tents, tables, fireplaces and all other types of camping equipment were framed around the trailer, giving something as primitive as camping an air of modernism.

At last, two dozen people scattered about the site, their nationality or age just as diverse as their hairstyle and appearance. All of them garbed in exotic clothing picked from a wide variety of colours and fashion, bright enough to make C.C. reconsider her own simple dress code. The hustle and bustle of the campground exposed their expertise in escaping the confines of civilization, they might just be the biggest gang of wanderers the witch had yet to run into.

Nevertheless, the group of mavericks had a single similarity in common; the bright smiles so sparkling as to draw envy from anyone passing by.

"-Hey! Hey, you two!"

It was inevitable for someone to notice Suzaku and C.C. as they closed in since they made no attempts to conceal their arrival. A vibrant woman ran towards the pair, waving her arm to garner their attention. On closer inspection, the immortal noticed she was more of a girl than an adult. More importantly, the unnamed lass was of clear Japanese descent.

"What're you guys? Tourists? Hikers? Whacha doing out here in a place like this? We're really far from any settlements, you know?" As the girl bombarded Suzaku and C.C. with her endless curiosity, the brown-haired knight shared a look with the Code Bearer.

"Afraid they recognize your voice?" C.C. leaned in and whispered, bartering information via eye-contact was a trick she was only willing to test out with Lelouch.

"Yeah, I don't what any complications, not with these people." Suzaku confirmed her suspicion quickly and backed off, letting C.C. handle the situation.

"-Indeed, we're travellers. We're looking for a cave formation somewhere around here, have any of your people seen it?" The undying witch spoke in a tone unbefitting her alluring personality, but it was necessary to stay covert and stash away her true character.

"A cave? I think so…? I gotta go ask someone else though, we're kinda busy preparing dinner right now. Why don't you guys join us?! It's been so long since we met anyone new!" Ahead of her invitation, the enthusiastic girl was already eagerly tugging on C.C.'s sleeves to pull her along.

"Wait- wait! We really shouldn't- we're in a bit of a hurry." C.C. tried her best to withdraw her arm, but the young teen of unexpected strength was steadfast about dragging her along.

"C'mon! It's no big deal! Night is closing in soon and we've a big dinner on the stove, don't feel obliged in the slightest!"

Jumbled hints and ideas raced through her nerves to form a line of coherent thought, C.C. couldn't determine to what degree was the friendliness offered to her by the stranger genuine. The potential probability of their true objective in the EU being uncovered was nigh impossible, for not even Lelouch was privy to their goals beyond a board explanation of helping understand Suzaku's Geass. Although she always had a nagging doubt in the back of her head, he knew more than he let on.

"Suzaku…?" In her quietest voice, C.C. leaned away from the hand seized by the amicable hippie and muttered to the knight tagging closely behind.

"Is it possible your cult survivors know we're coming?"

"…No, they're all dead." It wasn't with one hundred percent assurance that C.C. mumbled back, but she was fairly certain the Geass Order's eradication wasn't just a setback.

"Then it's most likely a coincidence, we'll scan the area and see what they're up to."

"You mean you will, I myself am getting hungry, and I can smell the aroma of cheese." Suzaku replied nothing, C.C. shook her head at his constantly distraught attitude sapping all the fun out of her teases.

"Just don't get compromised, I don't want it to get complicated."

"You said that already." Again, Suzaku's expression behind his scarf was only a mild annoyance.

Lead by the young miss into the crowd filled with songs and dances, it became obvious C.C. was dealing with a group of happy-go-lucky gypsies. Mixed amongst the occupied younglings were a bunch of older women parading their distinct ancestry and behaviour, the undying witch humoured a notion of herself growing older and wiser through the passage of time but quickly exiled the ludicrous concept.

"Have you two decided to stay? At least hang out for the night?" As the black-haired Japanese led the pair through a sea of unfamiliar faces, she slowed her stride and asked C.C. another friendly question.

"I'll be easier to persuade if I'm not kept on a leash, I'm certain." C.C. said to the unfamiliar girl still clutching to her wrist.

"Oh- right, my B. So, what do you think about our camp? We've been at this lifestyle for quite a while now, hopefully it's not the worst campsite you've seen?"

"It is certainly… unique. I've never met a real gypsies in my life, so do consider us intrigued." Visible happiness blossomed over the young one's features, it was so natural and pure C.C. felt the tingle of the heart just for doubting her sincerity. "What's your name, girl?"

"You can call me Ayano." The young Japanese held the frill of her two-piece dress and performed a cute twirl to her own delight, her admirable body and proportions did remind C.C. of a redhead comparable to her in beauty. "What about you and your companion, Miss?"

"I'm C… -Celery, and he is… Suez. Sorry for his aloofness, he doesn't do the whole 'socialize' thing too much." Off the top of her head, C.C. came up with the most outrageous alias for herself and Suzaku. The result of her improvisation was immediately apparent in the form of a peculiar gaze from their tour guide.

"So… you're a vegetable and he's a canal… that's pretty awesome, I gotta tell ya! Nice to meet you both! And I totally understand, mister, no hard feelings." Once her deception was proven effective on Ayano, Suzaku relaxed his riled stare and only shook his head at C.C. subtly. "Anyway, anything else you wanna ask me?"

"Tell me, what exactly is it you people do?"

"We're kinda a group of travelling merchants, personally I'm not too hot on the whole 'gypsy' thing, but don't tell the grannies that."

"Merchants? And what ware do you sell?"

"Oh, you know. Just about anything, we travel the lands, trading with anyone interested. But you're not here to get swindled tonight, are you? Just make yourselves comfortable and we'll have dinner ready shortly! …And then get swindled later, please." While Ayano was explaining the finer details of her team of rovers to the pair, Suzaku was probably deliberating on the tactical layout of their atmospheric environment looking as serious as he was.

"-Ayano! We're just about all ready to go! Bring the guests over and let's get at it!" Somewhere close to the long row of tables pampered in delicious cuisine, an alien voice called the name of their usher.

"Alright! Shall we head over to where the hot food awaits? We do have a tasty lineup tonight!" Gleefully, the carefree girl led C.C. and Suzaku over to the buffet where dozens more of her people were already digging in.

"-Oi, oi, Ayano! Have you seen Leila anywhere!?" Out of the bustling mob of dwellers on the move, a tall and sturdy young Japanese man with a natural slicked back cut pushed his way through the tide of masses. "I'm trying to find her but she's nowhere!" Very loudly, he yelled.

"Dude, you wanna blast my eardrums any harder!? Freaking Christ, Ryo! And I don't have a clue where she's at, she probably disappeared to mediate again."

"Then maybe you can help me. Her goddamn cat keeps running off whenever I try to feed them!"

"Man, you sure are useless for anything that requires even a touch of delicacy. Fine, you left the cat food at the usual place?"

"Yeah, yeah! You're the best, girl!" Just when the brawny jock was about to dart off elsewhere, he spun around and speedily shook hands with the two guests unprepared for physical contact. "-Welcome to our camp! I'm Ryo, I'll see you two around, strangers!" Left in the dust of a speeding young adult, C.C. mulled over what the normal reaction to receiving an impudent welcome should be.

"Well, so that's a thing I gotta do now. Don't let my absence stop you two from enjoying yourselves! Eat as much as you like, we have more stock ready to cook! Come find me if you need anything; or anyone else, really, we're all glad to help!" Thus, the cheerful Japanese left the two Britannian agents to their own device, herself running off and vanishing in the commotion.

"That was… unexpected, these people are here… just to be here…" Once Suzaku closed the gap, he murmured the conclusion to his observation to C.C.

"And there's nothing wrong with that, why don't we also take a moment to relax?"

"I suppose there's no harm… just don't let your guard down." Suzaku, cautious as he was known to be, warned C.C. to stand prepared, but by that time she was already chewing on the bones of a chicken leg with her face exposed.

"Boy, do I ever?"

C.C. always prided herself with her refined taste in gourmet dishes, even if most of anything that was privileged enough to touch her tongue was only passable in comparison to the wonders of pizza. The very same Italian baked goods that got her mouth-watering was only minutes away from coming out of the huge mobile oven on one of the wagons, the chef in charge stoking the fire and measuring its temperature.

"I do hope that girl will actually ask around for the base's entrance. I don't want to waste too much time here." Suzaku yanked C.C.'s delightful anticipation away from her pizza with his dismal statement.

"Suzaku… and you wonder why nobody invites you to hang out in the gaming room." Grudgingly affected by his dingy mood, C.C. deadpanned a dejected slander his way.

"I know, I know… I just can't help myself from being so anxious. You understand my feelings."

"I do, but try to loosen up a bit more. You're not doing yourself a favour by being such a worrywart all the time. Think of it this way; what'd Euphemia say if you told her you were miserable and uneasy the entire time you went on vacation?" One big bite of the roasted pork on her plate later, C.C. consulted the nervous knight.

"…I guess you're right, I need to stop being so apprehensive. It's all gonna work out, I believe it will." Suzaku said unconvinced. C.C could attest to his best effort of calming down his nerves, knowing it wasn't a manageable endeavour for someone so used to being on the edge.

"That's all the better. Here, for you." After a refreshing wheeze, The Knight of Zero was comfortable enough to accept a cup of soda from C.C.

Suzaku slackened the dark scarf buckled over his mouth down to his neck and took a sip of the carbonated sweet drinks, his attention was at long last not so obsessed over uncovering a fragment of the Geass Order's legacy. For the next couple of minutes that the two shared in rowdy tranquillity, C.C. finally was able to enjoy the pleasure of a hot meal mixed with the excitement of more slices to come.

"-Excuse me, just trying to reach past you here."

That was until an anonymous figure caught the duo's attention. The newcomer was another Japanese teen in his early twenties, he had a head of deep blue with an ultra-thin braided ponytail dangling behind him and eyes a tinge brighter than his hair. It was definitely unusual for so many individuals from the land of the rising sun to be gathered in one place, C.C. speculated whether if she should be bothered by such a fluke.

"Oh, I'll grab it for you. What do you want?" Suzaku quickly set aside his drink and fished for a clean cup on the self-serving bar behind him.

"Thanks, I'll take an iced tea."

"Sure." Half a dozen seconds of pressing the button on the water tank later, Suzaku had filled the plastic cup and was about to give it over to the unnamed man.

It was in that very moment the two young adults met their gaze for the first time, both of their hands frozen in the motion of passing a drink from one to the other. It became abundantly obvious the hidden danger of Suzaku and C.C.'s sidetrack was boiling over to the surface judging by how quickly the cheerful mien of the blue-haired host soured to an utterly disbelieving scowl.

"You are… Kururugi Suzaku…!"

"…" Suzaku replied nothing and his expression altered none, but his thought already jumped miles ahead of his actions.

"…Goddamn it, you bastards just had to do this…" C.C. cursed under her breath, taking one bite of her food before the stares from the circle of bystanders made it too inappropriate to finish her supper.

Despite the sudden spike in hostility surrounding her, despite the two soldiers standing metres away taking a combat stance with their sidearms drawn, despite the shouts and screams rippling Suzaku's identity like a grenade being dropped in a fishbowl; there was only one thing C.C. completely understood in the conditions she was enduring, she wasn't getting to eat the pizza on that unfortunate night.

— —

**Author's note**

I hope it's not too boring reading a sidequest in a mostly Lelouch/Kallen fic, although I wanna say her character is pretty well developed at this point, and her screentime won't be as prominent as before. I also said my defense of Suzaku's character and whatnot, so if you don't enjoy where the story is going, I do apologize, but then again it is something I'd like to do.

The plot is a bit wonky with how C.C. and Suzaku just so happened to run into the gypies, but you know… you know. *dabs*

To reply to some reviews: I think everyone can agree that the red ring of a Geass victim is a visual aid and the Geass sigil of the Geass user is visible, just so we're in the clear.

Replying to islamy96's chapter eight review just kinda bashing me: I didn't say anything last time since I didn't think you'd stick around, but since you did I'll reply properly. Your first couple of points aren't wrong, I did say I'mma jump the shit out of the shark with the Euphie plot, so can't say I didn't warn you. And you're kinda right? I won't call it forced drama, because I personally think what happened is pretty nature? Kinda? Authors are normally terrible at critique their own work, and I'm the same, so if you can expand on what you think is bad about the story, that'll help me a lot, thanks. Although I can't agree with how you said the narration calling Marrybell a 'queen' equals sedition, that's just a non-objective description of her title, or whatever it's called in writing.

Replying to EVA-Saiyajin's review talking about how I made Kallen too dumb: I hate seeming like I'm constantly playing defense for myself, but I actually try not to write Kallen like an idiot and more inline with her canonical self when it comes to her personality. I think she acts around what you'd expect from a teenager in love, stumbles a bit when talking to her crush and makes it a little awkward. Her IQ is high, absolutely. The show presents that she's getting high marks in school without attending and an ace pilot out of the box, but emotionally she's always been pretty fiery. If you can point out parts where I mischaracterize her personality, for sure I'll go back and fix it.

So yeah, I'm always accepting of criticism as long as it makes sense. Since personally I rate my own story 6969/10 so it's obvious that it's perfect and flawless and literally should be canon and I'm definitely not a hack.


	11. Get in loser, we're going shopping

**Get in loser, we're going shopping**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Poland, Warsaw countryside**

**Three days since Suzaku departed for Europe**

How many times in someone's life would they stare down the barrel of a pistol? One that was trained in on their centre of mass with a finger on its trigger and its safety off? Was it unfortunate that Suzaku was somewhat an expert at being held at gunpoint after over a dozen times, or fortunate for him to have made it out of every one of those cases alive?

_How foolish… they're forcing my hand._ It was the only evaluation Suzaku had for the messy predicament he and C.C. found themselves snared in.

"That's…! Oh- God, impossible!" Amidst a flood of screams, there were some voices more distinct and minacious than the rest.

"Ayano! Why the hell is Kururugi Suzaku here!? Did you not get a look at his face when you walked him through our camp!?"

"Dude, piss right off! I didn't think a fucking Knight of Rounds would be here in the countryside, alright!?" The horde of terrified mob quickly scattered away along with their heaps of cries, leaving only a couple of the younger adults armed with rusting rifles to handle their irregular guests by means of deadly force.

"Kururugi Suzaku, what're you doing here?" The nameless nomad asked. His stern grimace and steel weapon aiming at the Knight of Zero remained unfaltering in spite of Suzaku's own gun pointed his way.

"I was just passing through."

"You expect us to believe that?!"

"Should I tell a lie next?"

"People like us don't run into each other by coincidence… if it wasn't for you… we wouldn't be…!" A wave of intense stillness washed over the two extraordinary soldiers, Suzaku kept his finger steady on the trigger ready to react at any second were their unhinged negotiation to break down.

"I don't even know who you are." Those were the words to snap the balance of composure both men shared between the muzzle of their firearms, Suzaku watched his opponent's eyes bulge in resentment and his own Geass warning him of the impending danger.

"Not the case for us, Britannia's White Grim Reaper! Spit it out, why are you and that woman here?!" Suzaku snuck in a peep towards the mildly provoked C.C. sitting crossed legged on the same bench she been perching on for the last ten minutes, the array of weaponry lining her up almost added to her boredom.

"And what kinda name is C.C., anyway!? You better come up with an excuse more than eloping with the Knight of Seven if you wanna get outta here alive!" The accusation slamming C.C.'s reputation from Ayano finally brought the immortal out of her careless doze. Similarly, it spawned a wave of goosebumps running up Suzaku's back at the thought of what the young teenager suspected.

"Girly… you better shut your mouth before I shove the full girth of that short sword down your throat." Taken aback by the green-haired stranger's sudden vulgarity, Ayano almost dropped her guard at the concept of such a fatuous yet dangerous threat. C.C. herself seemed none too contend for drawing that reaction out of her enemy either. "God… I sound like Kallen when I'm angry."

"I wouldn't go that far." Keeping his concentration at its peak, Suzaku replied to the witch's sly comment. "I also don't see why you're angry."

"They burned a pizza in the oven, I can just about smell it."

"Of course… why did I even ask?"

"-Hey, hey! That's enough out of you two! Cut the crap and don't forget we're asking the questions here!" One of the taller brutes who introduced himself as Ryo during the upbeat celebration earlier was now barking at the two under contrasting circumstances.

"Heh… cries the clueless fools without a grasp on facts or fiction. Were we here to place your group under arrest, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Besides, how important do you believe you hippies are for a Round to make an appearance?" C.C.'s revelations gave each member of the ragtag band of outliers something to contemplate, stopping the buildup tension from overflowing for a brief moment.

"…You might be making a good point, but it won't change anything now that all of us are in this situation, we can't just let you two walk away." The blue-haired Japanese responded.

After taking seconds to revise their strategy, the erratic gang of gypsies redirected some of their barrels to target C.C., ready to fire at the drop of a pin. The witty witch's peril stirred a sense of urgency in Suzaku despite him knowing it was pointless to worry for her.

"Therefore, instead of peace, you rather choose blood." C.C. declared calmly from her seat, earning her another agitated glare from the group of travellers.

"That…! That isn't true! We came out here in search of peace! We're not people who wish for bloodshed!" Ayano shouted back, her stance shaken by C.C.'s accusation. "You're the ones at fault, none of us wanted this confrontation!"

"Yet here we are, at an impasse. You outnumber the two of us ten to one, but harming us in any way will bring down the wrath of the empire upon you riffraff. What to do… what to do indeed." Many members of the nomad posse hesitated, easing off their hostilities towards their adversaries after hearing the witch's analyst, it was an inconvenient truth they didn't consider before drawing their guns.

When no retort came to affront C.C.'s nonchalant behaviour or repeat the tired-old question of hers and Suzaku's destination, the possibility of everyone making it out of the standoff alive increased just by a margin. The Knight of Zero kept up his mien of haunted deadliness even if he was far from fretting at the imminent danger. If anything, Suzaku was racking his brain over methods of defusing the aggression without wiping out those projecting it in the next thirty seconds or less.

Then suddenly and rapidly, in quick succession, all the solution entered the formidable stage at once.

"-Is this how we treat our guests these days!? Everyone! Cease this at once!" A thundering yet endearing voice echoed from far beyond the armed crowd, a force of authority was pushing its way through the walls of surprised soldiers.

"C.C., it's here." Suzaku whispered to the Code Bearer to notified her of his crude plan. However, C.C. appeared unusually jarred by the arrival of whoever was commanding the unprofessional troops to disperse.

"She's… one of mine, but… how did I not sense her?"

"C.C.!" On the second call, C.C. returned to reality.

"I heard you, are you gonna kill them?"

"No."

"Good, I need to talk to that woman. Try to avoid—" Whatever C.C. said next, it was eclipsed by the flourishing shrieks of overpowering wind and the trembling shouts coming from many of their captors below.

"-Watch it- watch out, it's a Knightmare!"

"-Je-Jesus! It's the Lancelot! Everyone, get clear!"

_Two minutes and forty-two seconds, how are Lloyd's inventions timelier than he is?_

A blast of dust-dirt mixture brushed against the back Suzaku's shoes as the Lancelot Albion split apart the skies above and landed only a metre behind him. The imposing Knightmare's invincible posture and overwhelming reputation instantly sent the unprepared drifters into a dreadful frenzy, turning the tides of a prelude to battle with its foreboding entrance. The entire package of prowess and terror wrapped together by the bizarre scientist's long-range remote system where the Lancelot could be delivered to the Devicer's fingertips directly from the Avalon's catapult by the press of a button.

"Kururugi Suzaku! In the end… you're also just like the rest!"

The only man standing in opposition to Suzaku and his untouchable frame was the same Japanese teenager that revealed his cover. In his one hand was the pistol now unless against tungsten armour, but on the other was the access key of an Alexander model Knightmare with a thumb only millimetres away from its own remote summon switch.

"-Akito! NO! Don't do it!"

However, at the very last fraction of a second, the blue-haired Euro-Japanese was stopped from escalating the conflict to an irremediable height. The same voice that sounded for peace earlier rushed ahead to pry the potential pilot's hands away from his true weapon.

"Leila-! I need to stop him!"

"No, it's not the way we do things anymore! We don't fight meaninglessly! We don't endanger our lives for petty revenge…! Just- it's okay to let go, Akito. Trust me to take care of you. You know you can have faith in me!"

Slowly, the lost ace of Europia lowered his remote control and along with it, his fighting instinct. The newly arrived girl roped him in for a tender hug and a quick peck on the cheek before letting him slip by behind her. "Leave this mess to me, you go relax a bit, Akito. And Maybe help reset the tables, supper isn't finished, right?"

A deep breath later, the Japanese pilot retreated behind the circle of onlookers, leaving only the de facto leader of the wandering merchants to standoff against the Britannian elite. By a single glance, one could already tell the innate beauty of the former Maiden of Orleans. The platinum blonde was a stunning woman with her hair at an incredible length down to her ankles, dressed in a huge red frock decorated by many shining ornaments going from head to toe. No sane person would believe she used to be a competent military leader during the last few years of Europe's independence, not even Suzaku.

"I don't think anyone would've imagined for you to still be alive, Leila Breisgau. In fact, I didn't make the connection when they said your name earlier."

"And I wish to remain that way if possible, please understand."

"The EU's special activities unit, W-0 and their commander were reported MIA December of last year. That means those people behind you are…"

"Yes, that is correct."

"And that person with the Alexander keys… is the Ghost of Hannibal."

"He was." After Leila generously confirmed Suzaku's qualms, he took a break to process the information.

"We didn't come here for your people, but they certainly don't see it that way. I don't want to continue, that is unless you disagree. Miss Breisgau."

"I'm perfectly aware of the frustration you felt, Sir Kururugi. Furthermore, I sincerely apologize for the mishap my friends have caused you, they have all experienced terrible encounters with Britannia forces in their past. I beg that you'll be so kind as to overlook their speculative antagonism." Leila expressed her regret earnestly, then proceeded to take an elegant bow with the tips of her long dress lifted high.

"Oh- that's… reasonable. Of course, I bear them no ill-will either. I'm sorry for not resolving the misunderstanding on my part, it was in poor manners." Unfamiliar with genuine kindness, Suzaku fumbled over a couple of words and hastily returned a curtsy.

"To accommodate, I wish to again invite you and your company to dine with us tonight. I'll be willing to answer any questions you have for us."

"-Then answer me first." Before Suzaku could arrange a proper train of thought after being overwhelmed by her compassion, C.C. cut in, apparently unhindered by the keen smile of their host. "You're the girl of that winter night, are you not?"

"It was me, and you are the Witch of the forest. Even after ten years, you have not aged a day."

"How come I couldn't sense you until now? You should have the Power of Kings, so why?"

"I… am connected to the world, not just this world, but worlds beyond. I was elsewhere earlier, that's why you couldn't sense me. I'm sure you understand my implications." So rarely did C.C. don a baffled expression, Suzaku wasn't sure how to feel seeing one on her at that moment.

"What you're saying is… you can reach to the Collective Consciousness by yourself… that should be impossible. What exactly is your Geass, girl?"

"…I'm sure we can continue this conversation at a more suitable location. Why don't we enjoy tonight's menu together for now?"

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Downtown metropolis**

Marrybell unconsciously rubbed her left earlobe through her dazzling earring, recalling back to a childhood experience of fearing for her life when she was receiving her first ear piercing. In the end, the needle came down sending only a pinch to her nerves, but it was the frightful anticipation of pain that brewed tears beneath her eyelids.

Nevertheless, the temporary nip of the flesh was nothing compared to the utility a pierced ear provided. Marrybell believed earring was a mark of beauty for any proper lady, thereby even if Kallen was reluctant about having hers done, there was no amount of resistance in the world to halt the visiting princess from dragging the freakishly uncultured girl along on her trip to the most luxurious salon in the capital.

"You have to trust me, darling. This pair is obviously, literally, objectively- the superior choice. It matches your colour."

"I don't really care… they're heavy and my ears hurt." Kallen studied the reflection of herself in the mirror of a makeup station, judgemental about Marrybell's tastes in accessories.

"Ughhh, pish-posh, girl. You're gonna have a hard time winning over you-know-who with that attitude." Teased the casually dressed Viceroy relaxing in the next stand over, earning her a vivid reaction from the Knight of Ten.

"-S-stop! I swear- don't bring up that kinda stuff in public!" Kallen abruptly juddered in her chair, startling the stylist behind her polishing her long red locks. "How did you even get us to come along in the first place?"

_How indeed_. Marrybell grinned devilishly, was it possible that she was just too sweet of a talker for the three Knights of Rounds to reject? Or perhaps it was because her family actively deposited a considerable sum of money into their bank accounts on bi-weekly bases and covered their health insurance, a mystery for the ages.

"What else were you gonna do today anyway? Is it not your job to escort members of the Imperial family?"

"But you don't need three of us, and you got your own knights for protection!" Kallen protested all too meekly.

"Now that's just rude, my pretty. I already told you why I don't hang out with my knights, and I'm trying to make you more presentable to your future partner! At least recognize my effort as your fairy-matchmaker." The hassled pilot shook her head in defeat. Or at least tried to, seeing as she was confined by a limited range of movements.

"Whatever… it's not that I'm particularly busy or anything, it just… -what about you two, Dora, Moe?" Following her glance, Marrybell also shot a look to their left where the other two relaxing Rounds were on the receiving end of a professional's touch.

"I'm free for the day, there's nothing scheduled for me until noon tomorrow. So if the princess is happy with my company, then why not indulge a little? I definitely will. Can't signal-boost my Instagram at work anyway." The Knight of Four was treating her gift with a positively appreciated outlook, not even figuratively as she took a selfie with her coiffeur. If only Dorothea could share some of her relaxation with the pensive Kallen.

"Yeah, flex harder. -What about you, Moe? …Monica! You have anything important to do?" Kallen raised her voice when the Knight of Twelve missed her cue twice in a row.

"She's asleep sitting there, not that I blame her."

"Wow… if I get called up for my next performance review you two can bet your ass both of you are coming under the bus with me."

"Hear, hear." Kallen mumbled off some curses in a foreign tongue before finally submitting herself to enjoying the knight commander's whimsical girls shopping trip.

Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Four; always a stern, uptight and serious soldier with an indefatigable loyalty to Emperor Charles. That was the unambiguous impression she left on Spain's overseer on the rare occasion they met. Marrybell would never be able to convince her past self that the endlessly unsmiling woman could be found sitting here, pampering herself along with the rest of them in a popular high school girl's favourite pastime leisure.

_Lelouch… am I afraid of you?_ Hiding her fingers under the salon apron as a hairdresser fluffed around her orange-toned curls, Marrybell couldn't stop the trembling in her digits as she wondered how long he dithered before wiping out another person's entire character.

When Schneizel made a quick request to her before she left Area Twenty-four to find out whether if the current Emperor had Geassed the last of the old Rounds, the princess definitely didn't think it would be so easy to fulfill.

_My Geass is faster… is it faster? It is… but what if I'm wrong? I cannot fail, not anymore._ Glaring a hole through the mirror, Marrybell almost dipped into the temptation of activating the Power of Kings right that second. She knew herself would remain safe under its influence; the enslavement of her own mind was deemed impossible by whatever factors of the universe that willed it so. However, the same couldn't be said for anyone else in the store were they to catch a glance from her otherworldly pupil.

_Who are you…? A Wicked Witch? Destined to melt away into oblivion at the hands of justice? Then why is the Wicked Witch walking the yellow brick road? _Once she had stared for long enough into the mirror, the Marrybell across from her stared back, fostering intense hatred and horror in those bright lavender irises.

_Did Oz have the same look in her eyes when I robbed her of her principles? Will she harbour the same look when she runs me through with her longsword?_ Lost in an ocean of limitless possibilities and unpredictable future all up to fate's fickle decree, Marrybell didn't even realize she was travelling to a land of dreams when she was so deep in contemplation.

_Oldrin… Orpheus… I'm so sorry, for everything. Pass your judgement upon me, my life is yours to take…_

— —

"-Hey, hey, princess. Wakey, wakey, Your Highness." The beckoning of a sweet, benign voice was intruding into Marrybell's subconsciousness. Her reality was coaxing her to return and face the inevitable.

"…Oldrin… Oldrin… please… forgive me."

"Princess Marrybell, it's Kallen. Are you okay?" More solemn this time, the voice called again. Marrybell peeled open her eyelids and saw a figure of red partly blurred by the light bouncing off a film of water; it was her tears.

"Oh, Kallen… yes, I-I must've fallen asleep. How's my hair?" Sluggishly, the Witch of Spain adjusted her slumping posture and sat upright on the sofa, wiping away the last bit of drowsiness along with the remnant of wetness in her eyes.

"Honestly, I can't really tell the difference. You wanna take a look?" Noticing her hint, the Knight of Ten was quick to forget about witnessing a moment of debility in the refined royalty.

"No, I just ordered a wash, nothing too fancy. I see you kept yours the same."

"Did a bit of ironing or whatever. I'm liking this long hair thing, gonna keep it up a bit more." Marrybell simply nodded, sensing the mundane conversation was at an end.

"Where's… Dorothea and Monica?"

"They went ahead, said there's some shopping to be done."

"Shopping… without me?"

"Grocery shopping."

"…Are they peasants?" Kallen sniggered at a joke Marrybell didn't intentionally make.

"Not everyone can be like you, princess. They'll call us when they're done, you wanna go somewhere in the meantime?"

"I… wanna slurp on some ice-cream."

"Okay, Your Highness, how about a happy meal to go with that?" Marrybell shook off Kallen's disrespectful remark, or were they close enough for it to be a friendly tease?

— —

"So… it's time to fess up."

"Do I really have to? I know we agreed to this, but… you know?"

"Oh, my pretty. You know you can't hide those juicy rumours from me, the only thing I hunt harder than terrorists are them spicy gossip." The Viceroy's declaration rendered the ace Devicer to an embarrassed husk of her usual brazen self. "You should've known this when you first came to me for advice, it's too late to back out now, darling." After a bit more of Marrybell's persuasive pressure, she finally cracked through Kallen's hesitancy.

"…I thought about it a lot, like- all day and night. And… in the end, I decided to take the high ground."

"Oh, shut up! Shut… up! No way! You're letting my brother take that green woman as a mistress!? Darling, that is so daring!" Suddenly, Kallen painted her cheeks with the same dye she used on her hair.

"What-! Why're you acting so surprised!? You recommended me this after giving a two-hour lecture on Britannia's history with polygamy!"

"I did so with dubious intent at most, to think you'd actually go through with it is another matter altogether. However, I can't say I'm not proud of you for acting as the better woman, praise be indeed." Marrybell flashed a mischievous grin at the sight of Kallen's disbelief. What with the young pilot's mouth agape and face burning, it was so difficult to restrain herself from bursting into a fit of laughter on the spot.

"You're… you're just so… goddamn it, girl… I don't need another Milly in my life." Deflating in the face of Marrybell's devious plot, Kallen allowed her forehead to smack down on the table they sat by while the princess shuffled another chuckle into the conversation.

"Although the information I've passed unto you is all genuine and accurate, tested and proven. As it has been over the course of history; women; along with money and power are often roped together as the inducement for men's triumph. Therefore, society often overlooks the adultery committed by the male if he was an influential individual."

"Yeah, whatever, not here for a lesson on morality. Now that you know, you gotta keep your word and make my thing work." Her plea for help was gladly administered by the scheming royalty. Marrybell wasn't going to miss a golden opportunity to delve into Lelouch's entourage and relieve a bit of her tedium at the same time.

"Yes, my pleasure. I promised you to guide you through this complex romance behind the curtains, between you, my brother and that green woman. So, what is it that you'd wish to inquire, Lady Stadtfeld?" Playfully, Kallen pouted at Marrybell's extravagant address.

"I dunno…! I- we talked a bunch about how to handle ourselves in a three- a three-way… you know? …but I don't think he's an expert on it either."

"Of course, I don't suppose he's being collecting wives in Ashford Academy during his years away. I must admit, beholding the two of you enter this… twisted bind is serving to be the most hilarious drama of a monarch yet." The young princess ragged on, stirring the jumbled mess that was Kallen's coherent thought at the same rate she was stirring her empty cup of iced-coffee.

"Is there a hidden law or something that prevents the imperial bloodline from talking normally? Can we just actually please get on with it instead of you laughing in my face?" Her hasty demand only rinsed another swift giggle out of Marrybell.

"Then I shall, let me break it down. You're not gonna hear anyone admitting to this openly, but we all know there's a clear hierarchy in any functional relationship. Do you agree?" Adding a bit of interactivity was a sure-fire way of engaging her audience, Marrybell thought.

"…If you say so, princess. I'm not coming to myself for these pieces of advice now, am I?"

"Exactly, especially when you're dating the Emperor of Britannia. As much as I trust you to take good care of yourself and be an independent woman. I'd say Lelouch towers over you as the… let's say, dominant partner. And what is it you should always seek in a relationship?"

"Care and affection?"

"Power." To Marrybell, the pants were the most important pieces of clothing ever invented.

"You always want to assert your dominance over the other person. That is unless you cannot, then you must maintain what dignity you have left as to not let yourself be devalued like a dirty hag after… you know-? I'm sure you know." Power and authority were the two pillars of Marrybell's worldview, so much pain and suffering could be erased if only she possessed just a little more of either at any moment of tragedy.

"Okay… I think I kinda get it. I wanna be his girlfriend, not his slave… not all the time, anyway."

"Excellent, and kinky. Unfortunately for you, you'll find it trying to trounce the king of his position gruelling, to say the least, it's kinda his thing. So your best bet is targeting that green woman instead. Do you think you can do that? Make clear to Lelouch that she's the mistress and you're the wife."

Judging only by the sneering smirk constantly hanging off the lips of the green Code Bearer in Marrybell's memory, she gave Kallen roughly a forty-percent chance of conquest over her rival. Not that the Viceroy was planning on giving those numbers away, it was the endeavour and struggle which she sought to spectate.

"I dunno… it's not like I bear grudges against C.C. or anything, and this's pretty complicated already. I fear that Lelouch will always favour her over me since she's done so much more for him."

"I see… let's tackle it from another way. Do you want to be the Empress of Britannia? Eventually, of course." It was time to try another approach.

"Empress? Sure, why not? How different is it from just being his consort?" Briefly, the royal daughter considered mocking her half-blood companion, but opted to act her age instead.

"Let me enlighten you. By law, the Britannia Emperor is allowed as many consorts as he is capable of managing, surely my dear lovable deceased father can attest. However, there is only one empress to the realms, the actual wife and co-ruler. Now, we'll gloss over the tedious details regarding what consorts and empress can do, the take-home point is; empress, good. Consorts… lame." Marrybell explained expertly and Kallen listened diligently.

"Okay, then Empress sounds pretty cool."

"As it should. Aiming to become the Empress is a noble goal, in my own humble opinion. Now, I know he said he'll keep you at the top of his list, won't let you down and stuff like that. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, I mean- I really hope so."

"Okay, so far so good. But you know men, you can never trust anything that comes out of their mouths. Not when their other head convinces them to dry-hump any hot piece of ass that can even remotely appear to be inviting." Strangely venomously tenets were spewing out of Marrybell's mouth, memories of the past were slowly resurfacing without invitation.

_Shit- shit… not now, not now!_

"That's not really… true, I trust him to not do that kinda stuff without consulting me. I believe we have a pretty healthy romance going on. Well, you know, minus the mistress part." The red-haired Round was acting way too lenient towards the Emperor to his sibling's liking.

"You think that now, sure. I bet my treasury my late mother believed the same thing, and ooh- lads, how wrong she was at that… who can say how many months it'll take before he starts receiving services of the most inappropriate type from the housemaid in his unlocked office while visiting your mother's home like they're in some weird off-brand porno- and by then who's gonna stop him, you?!"

"What the-? I don't really think—"

"-Maybe at first, you're too confused to even understand what's going on before your eyes since you're such an innocent child growing up- so you can't stop yourself peeking through the ajar door and you don't understand how it could be traumatizing for a fucking kid! …—"

A baffled Kallen tried to convey a wide variety of emotions to little success as she kept her mouth shut. Silently observing a dangerously distraught Marrybell rant to her raving desire, flushing her cheeks blood red and her behaviour jittery.

"-And then-! And then after all that shit, his retarded midget brother blows your castle to kingdom come since his gay ass doesn't appreciate how much your whore of a mother clings onto your ice-cold father even though he's got fifty-thousand other bitches on the side! Because all she cares about is holding down her comfy deadbeat life! So your father- instead of doing jackshit like a proper parent for once in his pointless life, he just wipes your memories and makes you serve him like a mongrel dog!"

"…" What was Kallen gonna say? Maybe nothing was the correct choice.

"…FUCK! Fuck you V.V.! I wish I had been there to kill you myself! And fuck you too, dad! I'd have spat on your grave if it wasn't torn to shreds by Lelouch!"

The founder of the Glinda Knights paused her feverish outburst at the realization of her actions. She was helpless to mend the terrible mistake she made as the atmosphere had turned so sour and awkward, that about half a dozen of civilians around the food court were directing their curious gazes towards the pair of teenage girls.

"…Marrybell, are you… okay?"

Ignoring her protector knight's fearful concern, Marrybell haggardly reached into her purse and fetched for a container of pills, all while she was painfully lightheaded and lagging behind on her every breath. With her trembling fingers shaking ad nauseam and her nauseating mind muddled by disorientation, the princess still somehow managed to down her medication that served as a reminder of her ill-being.

At long last after a breakdown not meant for anyone's eyes, Marrybell's heartrate was finally returning to normal.

"I… I… I need a favour, Kallen." Squeezing out her sentences through laboured puffs, Marrybell leaned over the table and reached for the stunned ace's hands.

"Y-yeah, yeah! Anything if it helps."

"Never mention a word of this to anyone… not Oldrin, not Lyre, not Lelouch… they can't know, I can't let them find out."

"But-! You're clearly unwell, Marrybell! You need to—!"

Her bottle of pills was shoved in Kallen's face to prematurely terminate her unsettling apprehension. "You see this? You think I take this drug for fun? Because it tastes like gummy bears? I'm doing everything I can to help myself, you don't have to worry about me. This isn't a cry for help, I just have to keep my head above the water. That's unless they know about it, then they'll think my head is above the clouds instead."

Letting an uncertain grimace form over her countenance, the Knight of Ten rested her chins on top of her criss crossed fingers like a strut. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine, everyone goes through a phase like this; well, everyone born of the emperor's blood. Really, to have a claim to the throne you need to have at least two nervous breakdowns a year." Kallen reacted somewhat humoured by Marrybell's self-deprecating quip.

"Alright… I won't claim to be a mental health expert or anything like that. If you say you're taking good care of yourself, I won't treat you like a kid. But just so we're clear, if it ever hampers you negatively, I'll have to let everyone know."

Marrybell cycled her inhales and exhales a couple more times before confirming that she had completely reverted back to her regular self. She studied Kallen's earnest expression and caring gaze, not finding a shred of wickedness in her honest prayer to help. _If at the end of the day it turns out this woman is tricking me… at least she'll get an Oscar for her performance._

"Okay, it's a deal."

"Hey, I do care about your wellbeing, Marrybell. Who knows, we might end up as sisters-in-law and you're one of the few that I don't wanna stab in the chest."

"Is that right? So in the back instead?"

"Something like that."

"Terrific. You're not too bad yourself, Kallen. Lelouch is lucky to have you by his side. Speaking of which; sadly for us, I don't think your class in court politics and romance can continue today. I'm not feeling up for another lesson."

"Fair enough, so class dismissed?"

"Indeed, now where did Monica and Dorothea said they'll meet us?"

"By this sushi place upstairs, they're vouching for the quality of—" Before further discussion on that night's menu could continue, Marrybell's phone had to ring first.

The offbeat ringtone already told her of the caller's identity ahead of the ID on the display. "Aw, crap… this one is work. I'll have to take it."

"Relatable." Thus, Marrybell turned her head slightly to angle her voice towards the microphone.

"—_Hola, señor! No el español no, no! Inglés only! ~Esto hay que tomarlo sin ningún apuro… ~Des- pa~cito~!_ _Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito~!..._"

"—Princess Marrybell, are you quite done?" The recipient of her captivating greeting and vocals was less than thrilled to be graced by the lovely voice of an angel.

"—Aw, geez, uncle. I would be if you didn't call me during my vacation."

"—You really shouldn't call me that, Your Highness. It's unfitting." Marrybell was just about fed up with her Sub-Viceroy for always being a sceptic pessimist.

"—Let me do what I want, Sir Oiaguro! If you don't wanna be called uncle then stop acting like one!"

"—Marrybell, did you just have another episode?" The Zevon elder was able to pinpoint the princess's illness too accurately for her tastes. One of her worst regrets was letting him catch her during her first breakdown, even if he provided the proper assistance for her to obtain her treatment.

"—However it is you're doing that, Wizard, stop it. You need to stop it."

"—You're overcompensating, Your Highness. Maybe you don't notice it yourself, but you tend to act more emotional after you suffer an episode."

Marrybell was explicitly taught at a young age there was bound to be some people she could never mend with, similar to water and fire. Vexingly for her, the uncle of her childhood friend and her twin brother turned out to be such a person. "—Wizard… just tell me what you want, but give it to me short."

"—The movement calling for the greater Area Twenty-four to join the UFN has been gaining momentum rapidly over the last couple of weeks, I suspect it's largely due to funding they received from the federation." Exhaustion and frustration already washed over Marrybell long before Wizard finished his sentence.

"—Oh great, that's just bloody fantastic. Are we the frog-eating French? Must we have a revolution every second Tuesday!? Goddamn ungrateful imbeciles, just after I let them establish a House of Commons… give an inch and they'll take a mile, idiots! They just-! They just need to wait… a few more months."

"—Marrybell, calm down. I see now isn't a good time, should I call back?"

"—Yes. God, yes, please. I-I can't, I can't deal with this all right now. I beg you, just- contact me again some other time, sorry." The fatigue caused by her psychosis and responsibilities as the overseer of Area Twenty-four was wearing down on the young girl more than she initially prepared for.

"—One last thing, about what you said. Do you really believe it'll take a few more months to walk to the end of your yellow brick road?" The glum inquiry devoid of any scent of sarcasm froze Marrybell's response on her tongue.

_Yes, and then it'll all be over. And then we'll have peace in our time._

"—Yes, I… I don't know what to tell you. I guess… I want to live too, given the chance."

"—I'll respect your answer." So suddenly and mildly disrespectfully, Wizard hung up.

"-Was that like a serious call?" Kallen asked shortly, vigilant of her boundaries after seeing Marrybell so drained.

"I don't even know anymore. Can we please, for the love of God, just go have supper?"

"Sure, let's go." Eager to pack up and move on, Marrybell didn't need to be told to throw away her empty cups as she departed with Kallen.

— —

**Author's note**

Let me just say, this isn't an attempt to portray real mental illness or anything, it's just a vague plot device and character trait. I don't want anyone to be offended, as unlikely as it is.

I feel like I'm disappointing some readers who are, or were interested in this story with the direction I'm taking it. I'm quite proud of the first chapter and the premise I've set up, but maybe less so as I continue writing. Ultimately, I think that's just an issue with all fanfictions, having an idea is easy, but seeing it through not so much. That doesn't mean I'm stopping this story or turning it around, it's a bit too late for that. So I'll apologize to the people who had a different idea for where the story is going, but keep writing the stuff I want. (I also talk about this every other chapter, so it must be important.)

There really isn't much else, thanks for reading this story, review or PM me if you have things to say to me. And hopefully I'll write more, eventually.


	12. Max Revive

**Max Revive**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Poland, Warsaw countryside**

**Four days since Suzaku departed for Europe**

"…Bastards… you bastards… you left nothing behind, huh? V.V."

On the edge of a steep cliff buried deep beneath the earth, C.C froze in place. She overlooked what used to be the European base of operations for the Geass Directorate. As told by the former director herself, the flourishing society of the cultists twenty-odd years ago was nothing short of a metropolis.

Untouched wreckage of a bygone civilization was what greeted Suzaku as he emerged out of a cave tunnel, it was the destination of a muddy path they traversed to reach the centre of a hollowed mountain. There was simply nothing standing in a field of dusted concrete and rusted steel. The entire town was devastated, so much so that the relics of the Order's city in China could be considered a perfectly preserved landmark.

"- 'And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'." Keeping her presence discreet, Leila quoted, mostly to herself.

"Listen… I don't need this allegory from you right now. Next thing I know you'll be telling me that Israel is run by the Jews." Harshly, C.C. critiqued their companion's sense of irony.

"But is it not appropriate? That even the mightiest cities will eventually crumble to nothingness."

"You won't find it nearly as hilarious if you have to be the one combing through this." C.C. replied, concealing a drip of agitation in her tone.

"If I've offended you with what I said, I apologize." Leila quickly mended her mistake, even if neither of her guests thought of it as anything too rude.

"No… it's alright… it's pretty funny, I'll admit. You've been very helpful guiding us here, and I thank you for that. If only all of my contractors could be this supportive."

"Of course, I'm here anytime you require my assistance." After bowing reverently, the former-nobility took a step closer to the edge where the witch and knight stood in contemplation and cast her glance over the ruins of the city once more.

"Miss Breisgau, have you been down there?" Suzaku asked, his gaze still surveying the destruction below.

"Yes. I discovered this place completely by accident… or perhaps it was the wheels of fate placing me here to be your guide. Regardless; unfortunately, in that debris there's nothing to find except the howls of the wind. I do not recommend you venture in there yourself."

"I don't doubt it…" C.C. tried to hide a scowl into her palm as she commented. "Suzaku… are you big into spelunking?"

"Can't say I am, it tends to be somewhat claustrophobic."

"If claustrophobia is the only problem we got here, we might not have it so bad."

"Then it is inaccessible?" Apparent as it may be, Suzaku just had to check one last time how futile it was to continue their effort.

"You could say that, if V.V. demolished the city this thoroughly, it's unlikely any of my research survived."

"Should we try China?"

"Sorry to shatter your delusion. Like I told you, we razed that place to the ground. Lelouch supervised its demolition, he's not someone to leave behind traces."

"…Let's get out of here for now, we'll think of something." Suzaku said, eager to leave the eerie cavern well alone.

The trio doubled back on the same trail that brought them to a metaphorical dead-end on foot, while also being a very literal dead-end in Suzaku's quest for a method of reviving Euphie in the truest sense of the word.

"Miss Breisgau, may I ask some questions?" Suzaku slowed his steadfast stride to match Leila's, inviting her to join him in a bit of small talk while C.C. walked off ahead.

"Of course. Go ahead, Sir Kururugi."

"How long has your people being out here? Away from society?"

"Roughly a year by now. And we've not reverted back to primaeval beings, the fruits of evolution are still appreciated when we need to refuel our cars and repair our equipment." In retrospect, it made perfect sense that reliance on technology wouldn't simply disappear during a camping trip.

"I suppose it's hard to only live off the land in this day and age."

"Indeed. It might not change your view, but I want to stress that we're not anti-establishment, it's more complicated than that."

"I have no ground to judge you, more so that you were not soldiers of the Britannia military." If anything, Suzaku could effortlessly empathize with the preference for a simple and honest life outside the entanglement of warfare and policies.

Leila presented a peaceful smile for his understanding. "Thank you."

"Is the entire W-0 unit with you out here?" Suzaku asked once again.

"They are, we came to a unanimous agreement to partake this change of lifestyle after a major battle during the fall of the EU. We also have a squadron of knights from the Order of Michael, I hope this won't change your opinion of us?" Briefly, Suzaku pondered what tricks could be hidden behind Leila revelation that served no purpose other than providing more justification for Britannia to take interest in her group.

If it was her virtue of honesty that compelled her, then she was better than most people he knew.

"As long as you're not forcing anyone to stay against their will, I won't interfere with your manner of living. Maybe once everything is settled and genuine peace is upon us, you guys can return to society."

Gracefully, Leila flashed another gentle smile to the dignified knight, reminding him of the purpose he aimed to achieve in the European continent. _Euphie… I'll show you that our world still has a place for you._

Lost in a short period of self-reflection, Suzaku didn't notice his step gradually decelerating until Leila barged straight into the centre of his vision. "Are you not going to ask why we decided to desert?"

The frank disclosure from the ex-commander of the W-0 unit came so suddenly it baffled Suzaku slightly. He dabbled with the concept of posing that same question himself but deemed it too sensitive of a condemnation to make before it reached the tip of his tongue.

"I believe you have a very good rationale behind it. To a certain degree, I find myself relating to it." There was a short pause in the momentum of the conversation, likely due to Leila not expecting the lack of inquisitiveness on Suzaku's part. Ironically, she almost seemed eager to tell someone her side of the story.

Realizing that, the Japanese soldier complied. "But since you've brought it up, I'd like to hear more, if you're willing to share."

"Yes… I'd like an outsider's opinion."

"I'll do my best to keep up."

"Are you familiar with the battle of Castle Weisswolf?"

"It was the final battle between your W-0 and the Holy Order of Michael. By its end, the Euro-Britannia forces were defeated and your team disappeared without a trace." It was by no means a significant conflict during Britannia's campaign to conquer Europe, although the same could be said for the campaign itself.

"During that fight… we all saw our own desire to live, our own wish to elongate today into tomorrow. And sadly… the EU we sought to preserve no longer exists, taking with it our motivation to keep to our duty. Thus… we chose desertion." Leila momentarily sealed her eyes, reminiscing the finer details of the path she chose.

"I won't pretend it was a virtuous decision we followed through on. And if the past is to catch up to us, I won't hide away from the consequences of my actions. But right now, we live this life of harmony that I will do everything in my power to protect." That was where the simple tale ended, Leila paused to give Suzaku a moment to insert his remark.

"I think… there is value in knowing what it is that matters to you the most, being able to perceive that which we truly desire and pursuing it. Knowing what you've done is worth the price, protecting what really matters to you; I believe all of those things are righteous. People might hate you for it, but they cannot blame you."

Suzaku was by no means known for his philosophical outlook or vast accumulation of knowledge on the many aspects of life. Therefore, the only judgement he could pass down was based on the feelings of his heart. It was what he would've done in the same situation, or at least what he thought of himself as willing to do.

"…It means a lot to me… for someone with your perspective to approve me of the things I've done. There're days that I still wonder if I made the right choice when it came down to it." Leila thanked him, concluding the friendly chat to its end.

The warm glow of the morning sun gracefully painted the outside world in a hue of orange, the sparrows flocked towards the sky above singing a tune greeting them back to the embrace of nature. Not too far away, Suzaku saw C.C. playfully stroke her fingers through the dew resting on top of greeneries abound, enjoying the fresh air of winter so rarely appreciated.

"Talking about anything interesting?" C.C. spoke first, directed at Suzaku.

"Not to you." A hum was his reply.

"Then it's time well spent, what now?"

"Let's head back to the camp first, we'll see from there."

**C.C., the immortal Code**

"So… Leila, my dear contractor. I thank you for being a healthy young girl who doesn't have buyer's remorse for that Geass. Likewise, for letting us stay the night and taking us to the city ruins." Slouching on the sofa inside Leila's mobile home, C.C. caught a grape in her mouth as she addressed the merry band of outlaw's leader.

"It's no problem, I'm glad to be of assistance."

"Aren't you awfully generous to us? Two strangers in strange lands, undertaking a stranger quest."

"Backed by the might of the Britannia army. I fear hostility towards you will only bring upon my people your retribution." Coolly sitting by her desk, Leila distracted herself with C.C.'s idle chatter when she really should've been working on the pile of paperwork stacked by her side.

"That hurts me, dear Leila. Do you see me as someone to take revenge for something so petty?"

"I'd prefer not to gauge your wrath if it can be helped. We don't mend too well with Britannian task forces." C.C. purred lazily in place of a proper retort, letting Leila sort through some of her administration tasks in solitude.

"Why do you still have to deal with all this logistics when you're running a literal group of hippies?" A dozen minutes later, C.C. scraped the bottom of her tolerance for boredom listening to the sound of ink drying over pages.

"Well, the key word is 'running'. Running anything requires management. I have to calculate our monthly budget and expenses, manpower and necessities, resources and consumption. Being out in the wild doesn't mean I'm willing to abandon a system of order."

"That just sounds like bureaucracy with extra steps. Where's your indigenous spirit? Living next to nature like the Indians?"

"Indigenous spirit won't optimize our spendings or tend to our every need. And the Indian population of North America was either assimilated into our culture beyond recognition… or wiped out." To be frank, C.C. didn't imagine she would receive such a specific rebuttal to her casual joke. It wasn't required for Leila to prove herself an intellectual in the eyes of the witch.

"Aha, but you said 'us'. You're admitting to being a Britannian."

"I won't deny whose blood runs through my veins. I just believe birthplace to be a terrible criterion for judging one's character." That was another refutation to C.C.'s point. If she was more invested in their argument, she might start becoming annoyed instead of entertained by her opponent's insight. "Miss Witch, do you remember where you were born?"

"…It was somewhere in Western Europe, probably Germany or France."

"Huh, ironic."

"You got me there." The musing took C.C. to the farthest corner of her fading memories. Harking back to her days as a lowly slave, mistreated and abused until she befell her terrible fate at the hands of her own power. It wasn't a pleasant experience, so she left it at that.

"Do you ever miss modern society? All the convenience, just poof, gone."

"Miss it…? No. we live here, away from most of its benefits, certainly. But more importantly, away from all of its liability. No more laws, no more taxes, no more crossing the road only when the light is green. That sort of stuff. And personally, I'm not sending my people to their doom on bi-weekly bases."

"Still, not anything that you'd want to have out here?" C.C. dug deeper and Leila pondered harder.

"I miss Facebook."

"…Facebook?"

"There were funny posts on it. And maybe also YouTube as well."

"Wow… boomer-core."

"Anyway, enough of talking about… whatever it is we were talking about." Said Leila unexpectedly, pulling C.C. away from chuckling at her status as an influencer. "I have yet to give you my gratitude, Miss Witch."

"Well, I definitely won't turn away someone tooting my horn." Once her permission was given, Leila stepped away from her work and lined herself up directly before C.C.

"Thank you, Witch of the forest. I'm indebted to you. This power you've gifted me is what allowed me to protect those I love. If you ever need my help, I'll do everything I can to assist you." The blonde Geass user earnestly expressed her gratefulness, demonstrating a sophisticated bow for the Code bearer.

"I'm happy for you, Leila Breisgau. That the power of kings brought contentment to your life instead of devastation." In an almost melancholic voice, C.C. whispered. "And you can just call me C.C. I take care of my contractors."

"Thank you again, Miss C.C. I wish to offer you a helping hand on your quest if you'd permit." Leila said, sparking interest in the immortal.

"Do tell."

"We never had the chance to discuss this yesterday during supper, when you were eating all the pizza, but my Geass is the power to connect people." The note about C.C.'s indulgence of the baked goods was largely unnecessary, otherwise, the topic had surely attracted her full attention.

"Like a mind-reader? It's not my favourite type of Geass, not gonna lie." The confrontation against a blunder wearing headphones and sunglasses born from her failure never stopped pricking her heart, even if the pain grew dull over the passage of time.

"I can do that if I wish, but it's so much more. At first, I was able to… encourage- I shall say- others to face their own lies, mistakes, regrets with honesty and sincerity. It was what enabled me to save my… my…" Abruptly, Leila cut off her sentence halfway and averted her gaze. "-Save someone very important to me. At the time, I thought that was all it can do."

"-However, now…?" Absorbed by her tale, C.C. egged on the young ex-noble.

"Then, I got to thinking. What are people if not a combination of our consciousness and our flesh? Is it not our mind that separates us from the animals? And if our physical body is what houses our spirit, then isn't my Geass the power to connect consciousness rather than individuals?"

"Oh… oh, no way… no way." C.C. was just about to burst out a burst of giggly laughter. It was a bizarre case of fallacious argument against the universe itself. "It just keeps getting better."

"My Geass… lets me connect myself to the Collective Consciousness. Some may call it God. If so, I've seen its face. And to God, time is a dimension more flexible than it is to us mortals."

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

The campsite built in the middle of the wilderness was busy, noisy and lively. Filled to the brim by many of Leila's crew running around keeping up with their daily tasks. It was a microcosm of society at large, just shrunk down to fit about thirty people instead of thirty thousand.

"-Is Leila back? I'm waiting on her to approve of next month's expenses projection report."

"Yeah, she should be. I saw her and the visitors pull up earlier."

There were mumbles around every corner, all discussing the hottest topic of the week.

"-So like, is this Kururugi guy supposed to be famous or something? I heard he works directly under Britannia's Emperor."

"Yeah, the dude is a Knight of Rounds. -Hey, Ashley, wasn't Kururugi the lackey for that crazy eye-patched guy last year? When we were still fighting each other?"

"Sure was. I'm not too in on the details, although some shit happened between them and the Order, he got beat by Jeanne and thrown in jail with the eye-patch dude."

"Oh… so he isn't too big of a deal?"

Suzaku snuck by, catching the rumours within earshot while lingering out of sight. The battle in the Order of Michael's HQ was as far from a fair fight as humanly possible, and the fact remained that he bested all other participants in Knightmare combat. However, a loss was a loss and Suzaku wouldn't be too irked by the mention of one out of a handful of defeats under his name.

Without putting any real effort, Suzaku managed to wander purposelessly to a riverbank where not a single soul resided. The lonely surroundings gave him a suitable environment to deliberate the next course of action to take, which he projected could take some time.

_We can go back, dig up the ruins and find C.C.'s research… the two of us aren't enough. Call in a team? It will be suspicious… no guarantee of result. Go to the site in China? Destroyed by the Black Knights… maybe they have salvaged it? What is… this 'it' that we're looking for? To evolve my Geass? What is… my Geass? _So many possibilities, so little lead.

_Is this the extent of what I can do for you, Euphie? Is death preferable to being trapped in purgatory forever? Maybe it is me who's too greedy…_ Innately, his train of thought was bound to circle back to his only motivation, and it was during that period of contemplation Suzaku failed to notice Leila approaching from behind.

"You… seemed troubled, Sir Kururugi." Leila quietly said, not drawing unnecessary attention.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You're disappointed with the lack of results today."

"You could say that." Suzaku's replies were short, just as Leila's accounts were on the mark.

"Well, you aren't the only one, boy." Accompanying the European traveller, C.C. also appeared.

"I'm glad you care."

"I've become somewhat… invested in this side-quest of yours. That's why I've come forth with progress." Suzaku whipped around, now paying heed to what his companion had to reveal.

"Go ahead."

"She can help us- well, help you help us." C.C. motioned at the patient gypsy, letting the spotlight fall onto her.

"How so?"

"Do you believe in fortune?" The strange direction that Leila suddenly steered their discussion to caught Suzaku off-guard, that was not close to what he predicted.

"Fortune… as in wealth?"

"As in fate." Resolution was permeating from the response Leila gave to Suzaku, there existed a clear drive behind her messages even if he couldn't see through it yet. Although C.C. was amusing herself to no end, dramatically keep her usual smirk afloat.

"It is what it is. I seek not for the will of the land or the whims of the gods."

"Let me ask again. Is the future something already set in stone since the dawn of time? Or is destiny so fickle, the flaps of a butterfly could tailor its course?" More cryptic connotations, how many times in one day did Suzaku needed to be reminded that he was no expert on philosophy?

"I don't think I understand, what's the meaning of this?"

"If you'd like, I can see snippets of your destiny." When announced so plainly, even Suzaku could wrap his head around what Leila was offering. To be convinced of her ability, however, that was another matter.

Not even two months ago, Suzaku struck down Bismarck in the sky over Pendragon. The Knight of One whose power allowed him to perceive the future was still no match for the capabilities of the Albion and its Devicer's will to survive. However, if Leila could provide a reading close to the accuracy provided by Bismarck's Geass, then there certainly could be merit in giving it a go.

"I've seen many supernatural elements in my life, you will be disappointed to know you're not the first future-seer I've met."

"It's not something so simple. My Geass lets me connect to the Collective Consciousness, from there, I can distinguish the ripples in our flow of time that you've made, are making, and will make in the future. They're your decisions that had, have and will have shaped the causality of our universe." If she wanted to differentiate herself from the Knight of One, that sure did the trick.

"Are you sure? From what I can grasp, it sounds like not something you'll do for everyone."

"You're a kind person, Sir Kururugi. I have faith that whatever it is you're trying to achieve, it'll be a positive change in the world. Besides, I owe a debt to the Witch of the forest for giving me this Geass, it's the least I can do to repay her." As far as validations go, that wasn't half bad.

"C.C.?"

"I trust her, do you trust her?"

"…Then I will. If you would please, Miss Breisgau."

It may just take an eternity calculating every pro and con of letting Leila see into his past, present and future; that was time he didn't have. Therefore, Suzaku went with his gut instinct, counting on his unkillable acquaintance's advice that the young European wouldn't take such a roundabout way to harm him.

A split second was all that it took, during that shortest fraction of interval possible. Suzaku witnessed both irises of Leila's eyes twisting and flickering into the symbol of the radiating bird, with its wings spread far apart ready to soar towards the unknown sky. It was an almost surreal feeling, only matched by his travels to the World of C. However, the Geass tinted in blue never flew into his own eye, instead it picked a route to nowhere and disappeared all too quickly.

"Is… that it?" Being Geassed was never a pleasant experience, but Leila's performance was far too lackadaisical if Lelouch was any standard to go by.

Mysteriously, the young nomad was the one too stunned and baffled to respond as opposed to Suzaku who was the subject of her trickery. His perplexity not eased by the complex expression slowly forming over Leila's face as she regained her senses of reality.

"Miss Breisgau?"

"Oh- yes, my bad… sorry about that, I'm just so surprised by what I saw. If anything, it's like reading the ending of a long novel in a single sitting and digesting it all afterwards." Leila said. Proving her shift in mentality wasn't a joke, she lightly slapped both of her cheeks to resettled into the correct frame of mind.

"Is there a result?"

"Well… to put it simply, your trip here is totally pointless."

— —

_A Geass for the transportation of souls… I guess it does make sense._ In fairness, that was technically what he did in the World of C, transferring Euphie's consciousness from the collective.

If he were to trust Leila's prophecy, and he did, mostly. All that was left for Euphemia to plant her feet onto the solid ground once more was providing her with an appropriate body and inhabit it with her spirit. To Suzaku, that solution sounded way too elementary and begged for disaster, but frankly, he was at his wit's end and all of his ideas were nowhere to be found.

_I suppose there're no rules that say Geass have to be complicated._ If it works, that was all Suzaku cared about. As proven by his lack of persistence when Leila refused to divulge the rest of his future, the winding voyage he was meant to take. She cited her prediction's unreliability and the fluctuation of timelines as the main culprits. That the more days ahead he knew about, the less likely those days would come to be.

_Focus… focus on the now, focus on Euphie…_

A foreboding frown came into view before Suzaku, his own likeness in the blank screen woke his fixation on the mystical exploit to remind him of the inactive Knightmare he flew. Shaking away the ambiguity clouding his judgment, the pilot plugged in the key of the Lancelot and was swiftly greeted by the Britannian flag followed by the booting sequence.

Suzaku tapped into the external cameras, scanning the viridescent forest that surrounded him despite knowing no danger could possibly come to somewhere so far from society. Next, he looked down, by where C.C. was standing beside the kneeling frame. The green-haired woman was saying her final goodbyes to their ungrudging hosts, even some of the more contentious ones.

_She's much better at dealing with them than me…_ Suzaku mull over the sentiments briefly, realizing there was a message in there somewhere about how an inhuman, indestructible witch was more sociable than himself; although he never could fathom what that meant in time as C.C. climbed into the Lancelot's open palm.

"Call me!" Smiling gleefully, C.C. tossed the blonde an artifact to remember her by, the car keys to the Humvee they drove in on.

"No, you call me!" Leila shouted back over the low humming of the Albion's energy wings, spread far apart and ready to depart.

Soon afterwards, the white KMF boosted off the ground and steadily flew in the direction of its mothership awaiting across the nation. Suzaku kept a firm hand on his sticks which kept the firm mechanical hands around C.C. stable, protecting her from the elements one would find cruising at roughly the same speed as a commercial airliner.

"—C.C.! I still think you should've come inside!" Suzaku tried to talk over their radio, but all he could hear on the other end was the deafening scream of the howling wind.

"—I had to make a good exit! And sharing a cockpit with you is really gay!"

"—What!? That- that makes no sense!"

"—Shut up, nerd!"

**C.C., the immortal Code**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Underground**

**One week after Suzaku's return**

"My lord, we have completed all the preparations." Meekly, with a tiny bit of fear sprinkled in, a doctor exited the tents and informed Suzaku of his project's progress.

While technically not the proper size, what Suzaku had established underneath the Imperial palace was a full-fledged field hospital. Where no sunshine could ever hope to reach, a team of two dozen medics, surgeons and nurses were busy ever since the Knight of Zero ordered them to undertake a highly unorthodox assignment after swearing a vow of secrecy.

Not too far away, C.C. leaned against a pillar placidly. She too was feeling her fair share of anxiety from their daring operation, some may even describe it as immoral and wicked. After all, it was a medical trial on a much larger scale than dissecting dead frogs during science class in high school.

"Is it ready?" Demanding in a manner that was grim yet caring, Suzaku lifted his ever so wistful glare off the gate leading to the world beyond.

"It is, my lord. But I must warn you, sir. Bluntly… I'm not too confident with regards to what we're experimenting with here." The head surgeon fiddled in his place, careful with his movements as he whipped a drop of sweat off his brow.

"Is this an ethical problem?"

"No, no. Very much a technical one. The scientific theories behind repairing a brain are fairly sound, so is being able to resuscitate individual sections of a brain post-mortem. But putting it into practice is… daunting, to say the least. No less on the subject of your choosing…"

"So it can be done?"

"Well… like I explained when we first spoke… research into neuroscience has been able to revive various brain functions of a deceased individual; days, sometimes weeks after death is diagnosed, but they were never able to revive the consciousness…"

"I plan to do something about that. Don't concern yourself with the rest."

"Yes… understood, My Lord." Evidently, it wasn't too ludicrous that the doctor Suzaku hired to act so unsettlingly skeptical about the work he had done for the empire. "If nothing else, we'll continue."

Once the permission to proceed came down with a curt nod from the Knight of Rounds in charge, the head doctor retreated back into the medical tent for the final touches. There existed a very tame yet almost tangible layer of pressure in the stale air a couple of hundred metres underground. A fitting reflection of the foul practice Suzaku and C.C. were seeking to exercise.

"Do you think it'll work…?" When C.C. noticed there was nobody else in a ten-metre radius of Suzaku, she correctly presumed that he was talking to her.

"I dunno, try asking me that another ten more times, maybe I'll give you a different opinion then."

A reaction must have zapped through the stoic Japanese's thoughts, but as per his character, he refused to act upon it. "When Leila said providing a soul with a proper vessel is all it takes, do you really think she knows that I'd try to repair a corpse?"

"If you believe that she can predict the future, then of course."

"I still don't think I get how her Geass works…"

"Do you know how any Geass work?" Suzaku had a rejoinder somewhere on the tip of his tongue but didn't end up manifesting itself. "In layman's terms; she sees the course of the world, sees what you've done that changed it, and how you'll change it in the future."

"…That is unless destiny is fickle, able to be tempered with at a whim." Suzaku concluded quite elegantly, earning a slight smile of recognition from the witch.

"If I were you right now, I really would hope that isn't the case."

"Do you think she knows Lelouch's future too?" The knight's next remark made C.C. stop her brainstorm dead in its tracks.

"I'm not her now, am I?" It felt somewhat humanizing to realize even herself, the ageless Code wouldn't know how to sway the will in the stars until it landed upon the earth.

"You really aren't." After that, only silence remained.

— —

"My Lord… this is everything we can do, everything that is feasibly possible with today's technological advances. We've successfully recreated all parts of the body that was damaged; either by the wound, the autopsy- which is minimum, I must add, and some decomposition that was bound to take place as perfect as the embalming procedure is." Again, the doctor was rather tremendously elaborating the details of his work, much to C.C.'s boredom.

"-C.C., we're done, do you mind taking a look?" When the decisive pilot grabbed the witch's attention after the doctor had stopped rambling and returned to his work, Suzaku politely asked for a favour from her.

One peek into Suzaku's resolute eyes told C.C. it would be a crippling battle ahead if she wanted to skip out on his request, thus she decided it wasn't worth waging a war over such a negligible task.

C.C. climbed up the ramp towards the Thought Elevator, placing her just in front of the massive double doors; underneath the ancient structure was Suzaku and a few nurses, all circling around a couple carts of medical equipment attached to an ominous stretcher. At one glance, she could see lines of tubes and cables were running from the machines on the trolleys to a figure lying unmoving on the stretcher, its entire body covered by a single sheet of white blanket.

…_This is strangely disturbing…_ As soon as the concept entered her mind, C.C. was finding it difficult to exorcise the eerie idea. After all, it wasn't every day someone gets to look at the fresh corpse of an imperial princess restored to her former beauty, about to undergo the first unrecorded operation of reanimation.

"She looks… as you'd expect her to." C.C. said unsure, but it didn't stop her from lowering the white sheet back down anyway.

"I don't expect her to look like anything." Suzaku added, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as well.

"Dead, is a start. And she's got some stitches running across her chest." No droll reply or serious censure came.

"…Are you ready to go?" Suzaku was holding in one hand the cold wrist of his princess, his other hand only inches away from the surface of the gateway.

"Let's get this over with." C.C. took an unswerving step closer to the Thought Elevator, close enough to come into physical contact with it.

And they made the leap, like they did many times before.

Across to the other side, the same desolate unchanging landscape awaited them. The view of the once glorious temple now in ruins drilled into her heart a twisted feeling of aversion, not so nauseating to sicken her, but surely uncomfortable.

"-Ah, Suzaku! Miss C.C.!" Also waiting for their arrival was the ghost of Euphemia, the version of her was a snapshot of her ideal self before the horrific tragedy.

"Euphie… we're all ready outside."

"Then it's time?"

"Yeah… you're coming back with us." Suzaku calmly reassured his princess, reaching out a hand to guide her.

"I'm ready too, can't wait to get out of this place. Was it weird digging up my body from the grave? It's not all messed up or anything, is it?"

"Nothing a roll of flex tape can't fix." The witch reassured her.

"Are you… you know… afraid, Euphie?" It wasn't apparent to the spirit, but C.C. could notice a part of the knight was projecting his own nervousness onto her.

"Oh you silly, what do I have to be afraid of? Am I going to die a second time? As a ghost? Or- or maybe my body slowly breaks down and becomes a zombie instead…! ~Hahaha~!" In lieu of another joke, Euphie's chuckles echoed out the otherwise tranquil heaven. Suzaku forced a smile to surface, overshadowing his previous expression of squirming unease.

"You gotta chill out a bit, boy." In some ways, the comedy on display was palpable to witness, with Euphemia being the cool and rational one in defiance of her death and Suzaku acting so restless when he was on the brink of victory.

"Yeah, Suzaku. Believe in yourself, it's all going to work alright!" Finally, another encouragement from his beloved princess settled his nerves.

"C.C… thank you, I never got the chance to say it but- thank you." To his credit, that surprised the Code bearer.

"I… I know, don't bend your over backwards trying to repay me now." She replied, secretly letting loose an honest smile not meant for anyone's eyes.

It started off as simple curiosity at first, observing what Suzaku- someone who bore immense hatred for the Power of Kings would do when he cursed himself to receive a Geass. In some ways, despite their ignorance on what he was capable of, C.C was certain that the Geass possessed by the Knight of Zero was one of the kindest abilities she had yet to behold.

Furthermore, giving the determined ace something to chase after would inevitably set his sight away from the awful plan Lelouch and his best buddy devised to save the world. At least that was a major part of C.C.'s motivation for bringing back Suzaku's dead girlfriend from the nether. It seemed very probable for him to lose the drive to carry out Zero Requiem if there was someone left in the world that he cared deeply about.

It was a human-like thing to do; something she thought she would try harder to become.

"Euphie… I need you to look into my eye, don't turn away."

"Okay… you have a little something- a bit of red in there…"

"Yes… yeah, it's… it's being put to use for good this time."

Suzaku gripped tenderly at the air that Euphemia's hand supposedly occupied, a gesture of their devoted bond together. He slowly paced backwards towards the gate to uncharted territories, never once breaking the contact that was forming between the unfaltering glow of his Geass and her glistering irises reflecting the same crimson.

"Euphie… to be honest, I'm a bit scared."

"Hey, I'll tell you a small secret… you're not alone in that, my knight…"

One step later, he touched the Thought Elevator.

— —

Flatline, flatline, flatline… then there was a pulse. Ever so faintly at first, but beneath the long threads of surgical sutures laid the irrefutable evidence of a rejuvenated heart, beating at a steady rate to cycle life anew through veins that ran cold as ice far longer than they rightfully deserved. A mistake of the past believed to be permanent was proven not the case thanks to C.C. and Suzaku's relentless effort and luck.

The white sheet shielding the maiden's face was reeled back over her shoulders, letting the dim light of Pendragon's underground seep through her shut eyelids bit by bit. Suzaku didn't notice it himself in the crucial moment, but he was holding in his breath as he tensely studied Euphemia's motionless features. The reports from the doctors and the noise from the machines slipped by his ear into the background.

When the time came for the period of intense anticipation to be brought to its conclusion, it was done relatively unceremoniously. Euphemia sluggishly peeled open her eyes, unfocused and tired as they were before inhaling softly.

"Su-…zaku…" Her first word spoken in over a year, her voice was so hoarse and raspy, lacking any of its former resonance.

"Euphie… Euphie…" However, for Suzaku, that was more than he could ever ask for.

His hands dearly clutched hers in its clutch, trembling just so slightly that it wouldn't tarnish his image. Seeing his deeply emotional yet coolheaded behaviour, C.C. made a note to mention to him later precisely when Suzaku last shred a tear.

"Suzaku… it is you… Suzaku." Weak and feeble were her movement, as one would expect for someone who just crossed over from the underworld. Nonetheless, Euphemia still tried her absolute best to reach her free hand toward Suzaku, to caress his cheeks or pat his temple.

However. that was when it went wrong. An error they should have in all likelihood predicted but were too elated to properly analyze.

The hand that C.C. initially thought to be going for Suzaku's face instead aimed for his neck. The delicate fragility of her current state didn't hamper Euphemia from trying pointlessly to choke her benign knight.

"You are… Japanese… Suzaku…!"

— —

**Author's note**

Sometimes I read some work, fanfic or otherwise and think 'man this is really good, if only I can write this good.'. Then I remember I'm actually don't speak English and is just smashing my face against the keyboard. My writing is kinda basic and that's kinda sad and stuff, but hopefully, the plot and characters are passable to be entertaining.

More wacky Geass nonsense that probably doesn't make sense, just what I expected. Ironically, the questionable writing in Aktio the Exiled OVAs lets me kinda get away with expanding Leila's Geass in such a retarded way, unless it doesn't and my writing is still bad. But I'll pretend to feel like less of a hack after seeing a literal portal open in the movie that teleports a Knightmare.

I think I've made her power pretty understandable, for the most part. Let me know if you think it's confusing and if it's a common belief I'll explain it in a later chapter, or just cheat and explain it in the next author's note.

As seen in the last chapters, the OVA characters mostly just make a cameo, except for Leila, who will have a bit more screentime in the future.

Since I've defended (read: cried about) my writing decisions many times, I won't do it again. But I do look forward to writing a post-massacre Euphemia, seeing as I've never seen this interpretation of her in the fandom. And although Frankenstein-ing her body is a bit on the creepy side, we've seen that Britannian medication is basically a plot device anyway demonstrated by Mao (shot up like a sponge, lives) and Euphemia (shot once, dies).

Thanks to everyone that left a review, it's nice to see people give their opinions on something I've made, always feels nice.

Replying to ThatIndieReviewer's chapter two review talking about Nina's reaction to her bomb and how many of the characters got away without punishment:

I actually agree with most of what you said, Nina's seen the effect of the bomb but when it actually goes off she loses her mind. I can defend her by saying she doesn't realize what firing it actually means or something, but it doesn't excuse her that much. I think that realistically the characters should be held accountable for their actions over the course of the story, except that really isn't the theme of Code Geass.

It's more Shounen in that way, where the bad guys can redeem themselves at any time and all the oopsies they've done is forgiven right away. That applies to all the characters you pointed out as having gotten away with it. The only one who really pays for their crimes is Lelouch, and in a lesser sense, Suzaku. Both of whom felt that they deserved it. So if that's the theme the show provides, I'll respect it and write to accommodate it. Maybe give the characters that need it a redemption, it is in the title of my fic, after all.

Anyway, I'mma going back to procrastinating, maybe I'll post another chapter this year.


	13. TFW I mine at night

**TFW I mine at night**

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, recreation centre**

**Two months after Lelouch's accession**

"You know… I'm hearing a new rumour these days, it's about Gino." Kallen mindlessly submitted a mundane subject matter for discussion as Marrybell half-heartedly lend an ear, the majority of her concentration focused on the tablet in front of her.

"What about?" Anya said, aloof as always. It was burdensome to decipher what percentage of her interest was occupied by her video game and what percentage was on their conversation.

"I heard that he's going out with Monica." The reveal was short and simple, with the reaction being lackluster.

"Good for him."

"…You're not twisted about it?"

"Why should I?"

"I thought you two had a thing going on, you know. You were always seen together."

"Your hypothesis… incorrect." The Knight of Six acted detached and apathetic as she was known to be.

"Well, alright then." Kallen also seemed none too curious about Anya's personal life, choosing instead to return to the fictional gaming world they shared.

The arbitrary rhythmed clicks of the mice and keyboards soon became the only noise left in the room. Under the sheet of a comfortable blanket, Marrybell gladly burned away daylight as she remained indecisive on the means to entertain herself during the uneventful hours. She switched taps between all of her social media accounts. Too addicted to her constant barrage of notifications to go offline, yet the span of her patience wasn't long enough for any single website to retain her attention.

"I just need two pieces of diamonds to finish my armour set; do we have any?"

"There's some in the chest back home. They're organized."

"You added to the house again, I see. It's nice."

"Thanks."

Listening to the two teenage pilots talking amidst themselves while enjoying a relaxing video game only served to remind Marrybell of the childhood that was robbed from her, robbed by the ruthless dictator she once called father and the senseless ploys he schemed behind the scenes. Had the fabrication of an existence implanted onto her not been broken a year back, Emperor Charles' Geass would have kept her as a spoiled princess foolishly undertaking a futile endeavour to erase all traces of darkness in a world of grey.

_Nothing… I lived for nothing. Eighteen years I've been alive, all wasted and meaningless._ It was unnervingly frightening, just remember how pointless her entire existence had been before the truth was revealed to her. _Well… except for Oz… all but you, Oz._

Oldrin was the one and the only beam shining through the bleak emptiness that was Marrybell's life, the glinting light at the end of the tunnel, the ruby slippers at the end of her adventure. _Except now… I've chased you away too, Oz… will you ever forgive me for everything? And will I be there, when you do?_

Slowly, the drowsiness conceived as a side-effect of her medication was consuming her thoughts still lost in nostalgia. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier by the second and quickly the screen of her tablet was blurring into a mishmash of colours instead of words and pictures. However, the only image that managed to remain in her mind after her world went black was the gorgeous face of Oldrin proudly greeting her with a bright smile as she joined Marrybell on their journey together.

_Oz… please, say my name… like you used to. Hold me dearly, like you used to…_

"-Marrybell… Marrybell!" Somehow, that one wish came true, even if Oldrin's voice was harsher than normal.

"Oz… I love you… Oz…"

"-Aww… Jesus, Marry, why must you be this way…! Wake up already!" However, the loving embrace that was supposed to come next was replaced by a flourish of slaps across her cheeks, brutally yanking Marrybell out of her transient dream.

Snapping awake, Marrybell collected her hazy thoughts and confirmed the fact that Oldrin was really standing before the couch that she had dozed off on. "-Oh- oh! Oz- O-Oldrin! I thought I heard- you were… you were calling me?"

Glares full of disgust and hatred rained down upon the indisposed princess. Oldrin's wordless message of loathing was directly delivered to the core of Marrybell's very being, piercing her heart again for the countless time. "Get up and move. Wizard is on the phone, your room. He has something important to discuss."

"Right… understood, I'll be right there." Their roles as commander and subordinate momentarily reversed, but the rudeness shown to her was fitting for a princess that couldn't punish her knight.

"…Your appearance, keep it proper." However, as Marrybell shifted her weight and sat up straight on the couch, warmth and fondness tugged on the tip of her necktie, a soft touch coming from none other than the righteous knight herself. "Mind your attire, be more presentable than this. You're a sovereign, for crying out loud."

"Oh… yes, of course… thank you." Lost for words at the implausible gesture of kindness, Marrybell kept herself still as a doll while Oldrin tidied up her dress. For a brief second, the young princess was on the verge of fainting, watching and experiencing an affection she believed to be all burnt out.

"All done, now get going, don't waste my time." Tragically, the blissful moment passed all too quickly as her caramel-haired ace discontinued their contact once her princess regained her usual elegance.

Oldrin moved aside accordingly for Marrybell to collected her senses shattered by her inexplicable display of decency. Her eyes naturally darted to the most intriguing aspect of the room, which was the computer screens displaying the game Kallen and Anya had been playing.

"-You there, with the huge sword on your back. Oldrin Zevon, right?" So it didn't come as a surprise for Kallen to address the Glinda Knight's Vice-Commander when she steadily inched closer behind the Knight of Ten to get a better view of her video game.

"Yes, My Lord." To anyone else, Oldrin still acted her duty as a respectful and loyal soldier of Britannia.

"Are you aware that our swords are supposed to be ceremonial?" Kallen casually commented, not taking her focus off the monitor.

"This one is practical."

"…But it is given to you by your liege?"

"Indeed."

"Then don't you think it's just a bit mean to treat her so harshly?" For Kallen to come to her defense turned out to not even be the most shocking event that day.

"That's…" Oldrin stumbled her sentence. She knew that an accusation of disobedience coming from a Knight of Round carried with it tremendous sway, enough to drag her before a court-martial if the evidence all pointed against her favour, which they all happened to do.

"-It's fine! It's fine, Dame Kallen. I permit her to speak to me this way, as long as it does not impede her ability to fulfill her obligation." Marrybell hastily dashed in from the sidelines, drawing the heat away from Oldrin as she forged an excuse on the spot.

"And why would you allow her to do that?" Kallen said coolly, dubious at best. "I'm not one for strict discipline or stupid traditions, but we're knights serving the aristocracy, there're rules to be followed at least."

"It's- it's because I enjoy it! I-I like being talked down upon a-and, and it's just… my thing!" The tension in the air propelled Marrybell to blurt out the first justification that came to her, no matter how absurd and slanderous it could be on her reputation.

Although, it was enough to finally get Kallen to look her in the eye. Her expression of cautious dismay tacked on with a slice of ridicule very plainly told Marrybell that her poor deception wasn't foolproof. "Do you seriously expect me to believe something that retarded? I'm trying to help you straighten her out here."

If there was ever an occasion to stand her ground steadfast, now was it. "That's quite enough, Dame Stadtfeld! Oldrin is my knight… mine! I can understand your concern for me, and I am grateful for such a passion for a knight's etiquette. But you will not intrude upon my authority and trample my pride!"

"…You're really not making this—"

"-Don't mine at night." Abruptly, Anya's collected voice interrupted the escalating debate.

"-W-what? What did you say?"

"It's almost nighttime, don't go and mine so late. Let's sleep." It took both Kallen and Marrybell a full second to understand the Knight of Six was actually referring to their video game.

"…Right, I'm coming back now."

"Do we have enough eye of ender for the portal?"

"We need- hmmm… two more."

"I have the pearls. We just need some blaze powder."

While the two were distracted by their game, Marrybell whispered an inaudible thanks to Anya as she passed her by on her way out of the room with Oldrin in tow.

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Medical Ward**

Suzaku glanced down at his fingers, noticing the chipped nails scratching the inside of his palm, causing a mild itch. It didn't occur to him until a moment later that he was the one who involuntary chewed on them. It wasn't a habit he normally would associate with himself, but the automatic tic did mask his nervousness well enough when he stared intensely through the one-way mirror of Euphie's hospital room.

In his eyes, she took on the shape of an angel, so pure and virtuous, perhaps too innocent for the world. Perhaps the tragedy that befell Euphemia was a way for the universe to take revenge upon her, to sully her name and tarnish her belief in a horrendous act of betrayal that reduced the once perfect princess to a short-lived villain.

Still, Suzaku believed none of it. He was here to mend Lelouch's terrible mistake and he wouldn't stop so close to the finish line.

Suzaku watched through the mirror as the door opened and in walked an immortal, a doctor's white coat hanging loosely over her shoulders. Euphemia also perceived the guest, greeting C.C. with a tried gaze.

"How're you doing, Euphemia?"

"Shackled." Euphie rattled the handcuffs which bound her wrist to the metal frame of her hospital bed.

"It's a precautionary measure, you understand."

"…"

Euphie paused gravely, her twitching figure under the bedsheet spoke volumes for the frustration that threatened to overflow. However, C.C. kept herself nonchalant in the presence of a fuming royalty. She pulled a chair up beside the bedridden Euphie, clinking the heels of her shoe against the underside of the princess' bed.

"I have your medical report, says your physical body is in good shape. There's not even the need for rehabilitation since technically your body is brand new." C.C. continued, reciting the content of the clipboard in her hand from memory.

"Yet I'm still confined."

"We're getting there. Patience, little missy."

"I assume you didn't visit me to teach that virtue."

"Are you so eager to get it over with?"

"Let's just cut to the chase. Whatever Zero- …whatever Lelouch did to me, it hasn't been undone."

Suzaku felt within him complicated emotions he couldn't decrypt through logical thought processes alone. He brought his fingers up a particular spot on his neck, where the fading mark of Euphemia's print still stung, just not physically. Compared to her frantic impulse and the determination she surged when her hand reached up to strangle him, what scared the knight the most was the amount of strength he applied when he pried her off him.

— —

"_Restrain her, keep her down!" C.C. shouted over the commotion, asserting her authority as Suzaku was frozen in a momentary stupor._

"_B-be careful with her, she isn't… she's still weak." Suzaku spout to the few doctors that buckled Euphemia to the stretcher. He trusted them to be medical professionals in the field once they nodded in acknowledgement._

"_Hey, hey… you doing alright?" C.C.'s display of genuine reassurance was uncanny, but not unappreciated._

"_We should've seen this… I-I should've thought of it when I recovered her body. Damn it all…" Guilt was rapidly eating away the elation Suzaku felt moments prior, guilt over his own miscalculation and negligence._

"_Don't feel too bad. Nobody could've seen this coming, and I actually mean it. Never have I ever witnessed a successful resurrection, so this's the least that could go wrong."_

"_But it did, it's a mistake I can't afford. Lelouch's Geass on her, to kill all the Japanese… it's still there." Suzaku's nerves managed to prevail against sheer fright and chaos during the entire ordeal, or did he recollect himself after Euphemia showed her bloodlust? It was still a jumbled mess in his head, but that didn't change the facts of the matter at hand._

"_What're oranges for, am I right? I'll give him a call." It was a valiant attempt on C.C.'s part to perk up the mood, sadly it was doomed to stay as only an effort, not a solution._

"_Hold on… what do you think tethers her soul to her body…?" Suzaku dreaded coming to the realization all too soon, seeing C.C. grinding her teeth at the same deduction added fuel to the fire._

"…_Oh. But… I thought she just needs a body- no… you're right, the dead aren't meant for the world, or else she can just travel between the realms like us."_

"_A Geass stays on a person- no, it alters the brain, so it stayed on her even after death."_

"_If we use a canceller on her right now, assuming it'll clear Lelouch's Geass… and yours too. Do you think it'll send her soul back to the Collective Consciousness?" C.C. asked, her frown told Suzaku she wouldn't enjoy receiving the answer any more than he would enjoy providing it._

"_I do not know, is dying the same as having your spirit set loose?"_

"_If it's not… then…"_

"_I won't take this risk, not with what we know now."_

"_This… has become a difficult situation."_

— —

"Sadly, it does seem that way. Your brain was repaired based on the last MRI scan that was taken, before your death. Sadly, that is after you went mental. Technically, we're at fault, we should've predicted something like this happening."

"I see… can it be undone?" Back to the interview, Suzaku twitched at the mention of the pink girl's crippling compulsion.

"It's… more complicated than what we thought, I'll tell you the full story another time. But for now, no."

Observing from the viewing room next door, Euphemia presented no reaction of any sort to the disclosure, forcing C.C. to alter her angle of approach.

"Anyway, what's the last thing you remember, in life?" C.C. diverted, prodding Euphemia to re-evaluate her situation.

"I was dying. Aboard the Avalon, in my bloody dress after Lelouch shot me." Cold and unfeeling was her attitude towards her own demise.

"Then you remember everything, how do you feel about that right now?"

"I… I hear this voice…whispering to me. Telling me to kill them all, kill all the Japanese… kill every single last one of them, be it man, woman or children." Euphie recounted, her expression insipid and emotionless. "But it's not my voice, is it? It's Lelouch's. He did this to me, he made me murder all those people."

It was too surreal how sincerely Euphemia was accepting of her atrocity, so lukewarm and guiltless. Of course, Suzaku had no intention of pinning the death of thousands onto the princess, who was arguably just another victim of Lelouch's ambition. But he definitely believed that was a mindset they had to suggest for Euphemia to agree, not one she was willing to adapt so effortlessly.

"It's not my fault, I did everything in my power to help them. I sacrificed a life of luxury and privilege to aid his goal… and he repaid me with a bullet to the stomach."

"Missy, the way you're putting it—"

"And he just keeps getting away with it! Look where we're now! He's sitting on top of the throne, the Emperor! And I'm a walking corpse, once discarded, now unburied- all for what!? I died for what? …Nothing!" A despicable glare resurfaced, the restraints binding Euphemia to bed clanged violently as she quivered her arms.

"At least… at least let me see Suzaku… I've been stuck here for days now, I can't handle this anymore… please…"

"You could pose a danger to him, or yourself."

"What am I gonna do, roast him to death!?" It wasn't a half-bad argument, must be why C.C. countered with nothing. "…I beg you, C.C… just let me see him again! I know you won't lock me in here forever, and I know I can't avoid this confrontation forever."

"…" Thoroughly examining what Euphemia claimed, C.C. again rebutted nothing.

"C.C. I believe in the power of love. Please, give it one more chance." That was something the old Euphie would say, Suzaku assured himself.

"…I'll be back." The sharp beep of an electronic lock unbolting was soon followed by the audible footsteps of the witch entering the opposite side of the room.

"You heard what she said."

"I'll go see her." Suzaku unwaveringly announced; his determination already set in stone.

"Yeah… not surprised. Be careful though, you saw what the Geass on you can make you do, don't underestimate hers."

"Right. You wanna come with… or?"

"Nah, I'll get you two some false sense of privacy." A wordless nod later, the Knight of Zero was the one typing the passcode into the door lock.

Surprisingly, Suzaku wasn't hitting the level of stress he imagined he would be as he rested his hand on the doorknob; had he measured his heart rate at that moment, he was confident it wouldn't even reach the triple digits. Maybe it was thanks to having already met Euphie, albeit an incomplete and childish one in the World of C that took the tension out of a true reunion after a full year. Hopefully, that was the case, and in time he would let the joyous days of old fill his daily life again.

With fortitude in his steps, Suzaku slid aside the door and entered. Euphemia turned to discover her newest guest, and in doing so a couple of changes to her psyche happened in rapid succession.

Firstly, she smiled cheerfully at the sight of Suzaku, indubitably delighted to be granted at least one wish of hers. However, the following second, just as her conscious perception fully registered his existence, her previous smile contorted to an agonizing scowl. The luster in her eyes was smothered in an instant and her breath so suddenly grew ragged. Euphemia abruptly twirled around, hiding her grimace from Suzaku.

"…Euphie—" The knight was stopped dead in his tracks by the open palm the princess raised to signal to him; step no further.

Euphemia shivered uncontrollably beneath her white sheets, the restraints digging into her wrist marked a fine red circle over the surface of her pale skin as she struggled fruitlessly, thrashing into thin air. It was excruciating to see his former liege suffer such a tremendous headache brought on by her irrepressible desire to kill. Suzaku sadly winced at the ill-favoured appearance of Euphie, knowing he was powerless to help her only sunk his heart deeper.

"I-I'll step out just—"

"-NO! DON'T! Stay…! Stay!" Euphemia demanded through a high-pitched scream, freezing Suzaku to where he stood. "I won't be beat!"

The horrific depiction of Euphie's anguish in plain view made Suzaku wonder; was she meant to endure the burden of Geass until not a single Japanese person was left alive? It was surely beyond impossible, but to what length would it force her to act?

It wasn't obvious whether Euphemia was winning the fight against her inner demon, her exterior appearance was defined by her spasmodic convulsion and agonizing puffs. Suzaku intuitively sealed his eyes to shun away the reality that he was causing the princess so much pain. After a cursory deliberation with himself, he decided to exit the room regardless of the pink-haired girl's orders.

However, a resounding bang put an end to the relentless groans behind him. Suzaku initially thought it was the sound of Euphie's handcuffs breaking apart, adding a grave deal of tension to their situation. But when he laid eyes on her again, everything seemed normal, excluding the trail of blood dripping down over her face.

"Euphie! What did you…!" She had smashed her forehead against the railings of her bed, it became rather obvious to what extent she would go to stop herself as Suzaku rushed to her side.

"That… worked." Euphie whispered meekly; all her energy seemingly zapped out of her frail body. Suzaku was too busy regaining his composure and cleaning the wound on her temple to agree.

Euphemia remained steady as Suzaku carefully wiped off vestiges of her blood. Her sight still appeared unfocused and her neck sweaty after the unimaginable torment of her will, but the shine of a clement princess had returned to her features. "Suzaku, let me take a look at you."

Her elegant fingers gently caressed his cheeks, smoothing over the wrinkles of his furrowed brow and tracing the lines of tears that Suzaku didn't realize he had shed. He wouldn't admit the truth to anyone, but the sensation of Euphemia's touch was something he had forgotten all about until she reminded him of it, and it made him complete for the first time in so long.

"When I'm with you… you make me forget this curse that's placed upon me. Oh… how I missed you so, Suzaku. My protector, my knight… my love." Euphie affectionately whispered in his ear; a slight blush took shape when she paused at the last word.

"I… I'm sorry, I should've seen this coming. I-I should've considered something like this happening." If it would ease the exertion on Euphemia, Suzaku would take her burden at the drop of a hat.

"Don't be foolish, Suzaku. You'll be the last one I can blame for what happened. You brought me back, silly. You brought me back so I can… kill all the Japanese—" Precipitously, Euphie halted her sentence. The severity of her bloodlust was obviously spelt out over her demoralizing expression. "-God… I-I can't stop thinking about it."

"It's gonna be okay, Euphie. We'll fix it- fix you, together."

"Yeah… if I'm with you, I think I can do it." Weakly, Euphie nodded. Seeing the princess on the path to recovery also untied the knot in the pit of Suzaku's stomach. "Although for now, I'd like to rest for a bit… feeling this strongly about killing the Japanese people does tire me out. We can spend more time together later."

"Right…" It wasn't a very humorous joke on Euphie's part, but Suzaku didn't have the stark guts to berate her for telling it. "You get some sleep now. I'll be here whenever you need help."

"One last thing… I have to make sure you understand me. I was so utterly foolish my last life, wasted it all for nothing. I promise I won't do that to you again, my love. Nothing in this world matters to me anymore, all except for you." Euphemia's abstract violet irises narrowed. Her transfixing stare fixated on the reflection of herself in the one-way mirror.

Suzaku heard a crisp snap of something breaking near Euphie, he looked to the source of that noise and discovered her polished nail had splintered, caused by the sheer force of her grip on the bed frame.

"Father once said that the truth of the world is the strong devour the weak, so you can say I deserved to be devoured… but this time, if it's between eating or being eaten… I'll feast."

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Pisces Imperial Villa**

"—So you're telling me what? You telling me nothing Lelouch hasn't told me! I can read a map too, uncle! And guess what? I'm also not colour-blind- so I can bloody see the parts of this bollock graph marked orange!" Deep down, Marrybell knew that her Sub-Viceroy didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her temper. Then again, she wouldn't be having a temper in the first place if he hadn't called to discuss another crisis on the horizon.

"—Therefore, you understand the urgency of this situation. Now that Germany and a majority of France have joined the UFN, we need to deploy drastic measures to ensure our population doesn't turn towards the federation."

"—What measures!? They want democracy, but they don't understand what democracy is! They think that if I abdicate, the people can just snap their fingers and we'll go from a capitalistic Monarchy to- to what? What do they want? A communist shithole!? God! I'm a queen ruling over hordes of idiots!" The flow of obscenity came so naturally out of Marrybell that she could almost pretend she was a sailor in her past life.

"—Marrybell, that's quite enough. Calm down." Wizard had a way with words that made him sound so much more sincere than he really was, yet at the same time giving him the assertive aura that Marrybell instinctively wanted to obey.

"—Don't tell me that! Why don't you calm down! Why don't you take my pills every morning and throw up every night…!" Her juvenile attitude seeped through every syllable she screamed into the video camera of her computer. If it wasn't for the ticking clock in Wizard's background, she would seriously wonder if the call was dropped halfway through.

"—If you want, I can book you an appointment with a doctor in Pendragon."

"—…I could be locked up in a mental asylum tomorrow and you wouldn't know about it until they send you a check for my funeral." Marrybell scorned at the older Zevon who she one day wished would be her uncle-in-law, that dream wasn't been reflected in her treatment of him at the moment.

One, just one. A single parental figure in Marrybell's life that wasn't a manipulative and scheming conspirator would be enough. All she ever wanted as a kid was to be loved, somehow the universe deemed that too ridiculous of a wish to hold and stole from her every piece of happiness she managed to scrape by at every opportunity.

"—Marrybell, I'll take care of this situation. Fortunately, the treaty the Emperor signed with UFN will at least prevent a full-blown war. You need to make sure you get your treatment for your… illness." Oiaguro suggested, it didn't occur to Marrybell that she could be ill in any capacity whatsoever.

"—What I need… what I need is to…" _Kill myself._

That was what Marrybell initially considered saying, but she decided to rephrase it in a more proper manner. "—Wizard… I want to die."

"—…That's your teen angst speaking."

"—I'm eighteen years old."

"—Hence my point." The young princess exhaled, already too drained to provide a counter-argument.

"—Am I too demanding? Am I asking too much from God himself? Is happiness really this hard to come by? I just want to be with Oldrin… and Orpheus… so we can spend all day doing nothing… you know? Going to school in the morning, sleeping in class, gossiping during lunchtime… all that… childlike stuff."

"—You still can, it's not too late."

"—It is too late! I look down at my hands… and all I see is red! I wash it, clean it, scrub it- but the blood won't come out! I've done irreversible deeds… and for what? Everything I thought I knew was a lie! I cannot believe I once imagining ridding our society of terrorism will solve its plague!" It was the belief of an immature child, a child that Marrybell secretly couldn't stop herself from hoping to revert to.

"—Nobody is beyond salvation. You deserve a good life as much as anyone else, Marrybell."

"—But not everyone can offer it! Except I can! I can offer it… for just ten thousand lives, the world will know peace in our time." Oiaguro remained speechless for a short period afterwards.

"—I… have no right to change your mind, Marrybell. I want to, but I know I won't be able to." Across the Atlantic, Wizard massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed in fatigue. "—I can only hope Oldrin and Orpheus are there with you every step of the path… just so maybe they can help you see another way, that you also… deserve a life worth living."

"—Don't bet on it. One hates my guts, and the other pity my desperation." They always watched her with similar light in their eyes, Marrybell knew all too well. Oldrin's detestation and Orpheus's sympathy, their glance could rupture her beating heart if they honestly wanted, she just knew.

"—If you truly believe that. Then I must presume you don't know my niece and nephew as well as I do, and that is saying a lot."

"—Shut up, Wizard…" Marrybell softly quipped, her previous anger had already faded away. "—You tried to kill both of them at some point in your life."

"—Ergo, my statement. I don't know them well. Nevertheless, Oldrin and Orpheus are kind children, especially Oldrin. She will forgive you for what you did to her, because she cares for you more than she's willing to admit."

"—You have no clue what I did to her. If you did, you won't be making bold claims like this." The persons knowledgeable about Marrybell's unthinkable crimes could be counted on one hand, none of whom would share the details with their uncle Zevon.

"—Perhaps you're right, I wasn't there. Perhaps the damage is already done and can't be healed, I won't know. But will it really hurt to try to mend that wound? All of you are quite young… only eighteen, in fact." Wizard's opinion was so close to making Marrybell giggle, she huffed through her nose to accommodate for her lack of laughter.

"—Shut up, Wizard… I'm gonna hang up now. Sorry for yelling at you… again."

"—I wish you the best of luck upon your ventures."

"—…You too uncle, don't ruin my area in my absence."

— —

A knock on her door. There could only be two individuals paying her a visit so late into the evening. Marrybell gestured her approval with a wave of her hand from behind her office table, the foolishness her signal only registered in her mind about half a dozen seconds later.

"Enter." She tried again vocally, and the door swung open lightly. It was Oldrin, dressed in her uniform as always.

"Marrybell." Her Vice-Commander jogged to her side, peeking over her shoulders at the computer as Marrybell edited the content of a document. "…What're you doing?"

"…Huh? Who?" The princess jolted upwards, anxious by the mixture of confusion and concern on display from her childhood friend.

"Marrybell… try reading this line." Marrybell squinted at the screen to better identify the location of Oldrin's finger.

"Okay…? 'As the Viceroy of Area Twenty-four, I am responsibible for the thing that happened at the operational stage of the operation during that which the popoulatin—' well… that… isn't right." It was an indiscernible mess she had typed out, and strangely she didn't realize that fact until her knight spellchecked her paragraph.

"When is the last time you slept, Marry?"

"What-? J-just yesterday! W-why?" Caught off-guard by Oldrin's usage of her nickname, Marrybell failed to sound convincing as she tried to cover for her sleepiness.

"You always seemed tired at random times these days, earlier today as well. Are you not getting enough sleep?"

"No-! It's- it's fine! I'm fine! Really! You don't need to be so bothered by it."

"Are you sure? You need to take better care of yourself." Oldrin leaned in a tiny bit closer, the sweet scent of her shampoo paired nicely with her silky hair as some strands drifted over Marrybell's ear.

"S-Stop it! Why're you acting this way? Don't… don't do that! Don't give me hope…"

Either stunned by Marrybell's stern insistence or the realization of her own tender sentiment, Oldrin was quick to retract the distance between her and her liege. The sheer temptation to push her enchanting knight down onto the carpet overwhelmed Marrybell's rational senses for the duration of their contact, her beating heart pulsed feverishly at the notion of indulging in Oldrin even after she retreated out of her reach.

"You… you're an important piece on our path through the yellow-brick road. I can't have you falling sick over something as moronic as languor." Oldrin picked her words carefully, the harshness returned to her attitude without missing a beat.

"Right… thank you."

"What is this document for?"

"Lelouch, he wants me to give my speculations on the recent development with regards to the UFN intruding on Britannia territories by means of their aggressive propaganda. The accession of Germany and France into the federation is a grave blow to our standings in Europe… if it continues like this…"

"We could lose Spain to the UFN, that would endanger everything we've worked for so far." Soberly, Marrybell nodded.

"War… is something we'd like to avoid, for now. Until we're ready to put an end to it." Sometime in the near future, war will arrive on the doorsteps of Britannia. That is an inevitable doom nobody could avoid.

"When will you be ready?"

"We're almost there. Capital, manpower, resources, an armada… we have them, tools for the trip ahead."

"No. I said, when will _you_… be ready?" The emphasis of her tone was clear, she couldn't deflect Oldrin's resolve to pass down her judgement anymore. It was another crack in her armour, all of which pierced by her lover's words.

_I'm ready… I've always been ready._

Her own survival wasn't something so precious she was willing to protect at all cost. Not when the majority of her life was a cruel fabrication of lies, all strung for someone else's benefit. Not when she could use it for the salvation of the billions of souls alive on the blue earth. Not when she must atone for the irredeemable sins she committed.

"I… I… I want to live, Oldrin!" However, facing down her best friend and beloved, she couldn't speak the lie on the tip of her tongue. The dam that had been on the verge of breaking down for so long finally burst open. "I want to be with Orpheus… be with you! Together as a family, Oz! I-I… I am only eighteen years of age…! I still have so much life to see…! I don't… I don't wanna die, Oz… I want… I want you, to be with you!"

Marrybell clumsily stammered forward, grasping at the vague figure of Oldrin obfuscated by the tears pouring out of her eye. She thought for sure her knight would dodge the unkempt mess of a Viceroy that charged her way, but instead the caramel-haired pilot allowed for her neat attire to be dirtied by the distraught princess weeping shamefully.

It had been so long since Oldrin embraced Marrybell, yet it felt like only yesterday that she was held so fondly in the arms of her beautiful ace.

"Give up the yellow road, Marrybell. So that someday, down the line… I can still forgive you."

"No! No, I cannot! I cannot! I shoulder the burden of all those that perished under my rule! I have to do something for the world… to end our era of endless war and conflict!" If Marrybell turned her back on the hundreds and thousands she had condemned to death, their lives would have been wasted meaninglessly.

Minutes ticked on; the occupants of the large bedroom remained still. Marrybell clung onto Oldrin's waist, trying her utmost to sniff back her runny nose. However, the Devicer was lenient and tolerant, petting the hysterical princess as her mother once did.

"Then… why don't we use the other plan you thought up? Yeah, you always have a backup plan, Marry. What did you call it again? Operation Ooze dice?" Oldrin half-joked after Marrybell had mostly collected herself, a much gentler tone than before.

"…Operation Ozymandias. It's obvious you didn't listen when I suggested it, or else you wouldn't have brought it up."

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's infeasible… I can't even say it without goosebumps running down my back."

"Try me." Undeterred by Marrybell's warning, Oldrin pressured. But even in her overwrought state, the royalty knew her knight could never accept the horrors that she sought.

"Oz, what would you choose? Me… or fifty million lives?" As expected, Oldrin was shocked and silent.

"I see… so it won't work." The young pilot recoiled slightly, just the concept of it was probably terrorizing her mind.

"No, it won't."

Thus, that was the end of their session together. A session for what, that wasn't clear to Marrybell, but she knew it was a stretch of time she would forever treasure. With her mood having mostly recovered and Oldrin mostly reverted back to her distant self, they regained the personal space soon after, neither of whom spoke in an amicable manner as they did.

"I… I need some time to work through this, Marrybell. I didn't mean to bother you for so long."

"It's no bother, you can always come by, Oldrin."

"And… err… thank you, for earlier today. Covering for me with Dame Stadtfeld."

"It's alright… you're an important piece to me, I can't have you be arrested for something so moronic." An abashed Oldrin shied away from revealing her expression, taking the steps in the direction of the exit.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Your Highness."

"I'll see you as well, my benign knight."

— —

**Author's note**

When I try to proofread my story, I already know what word is next so when a word is misspelt or something it doesn't even register in my head. Kinda annoying. I'd like a beta, it'd be nice to have. Otherwise, sorry for any mistakes you've spotted in all the chapters, let me know so I can fix them.

The length of these chapters are pretty sporadic, mostly depending on where I think is a good place to end off. I always try to start a chapter with low tension and see where it goes from there. Let me know if you think the pacing and chapter length is too slow or fast or short or long.

I want to say something big is probably gonna happen in about five chapters, give or take. Hopefully, it'll be more exciting or whatever by then, cause I know this story gets a bit boring sometimes when it's just character interaction and setups to future plot points. I don't think I've left a Chekhov's gun anywhere that won't be fired, but then again I can't spell Chekhov without searching it up.

Thanks to everyone that's been taking a look at my look, I'll never refuse a follow or a favourite on this story, nice ego-boost, not gonna lie. Obviously, reviews are appreciated too, but it doesn't bother me when a nothing chapter doesn't receive well, so just kill some time reading this story and that makes me happy.


	14. Hot Wheels goes vroomvroom

**Hot Wheels goes vroom~vroom**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Emperor's private chamber**

**Two and a half months after Lelouch's accession**

_What's that red… is that a pimple-? Shit, shit-shit-shit, damn it!_ Kallen yanked open the bathroom drawer, fanatically searching for anything useful that could cure the degradation of her womanly appeal.

With a sharp needle in hand and her knowledge on proper pimple treatment all but forgotten, Kallen was ready to nip the wart in the bud before the infestation could continue to spread. Feeling somewhat anxious, Kallen steadied the grip on her tools before carefully pinching the red spot that scarred her looks.

But then what she initially believed to be a pimple fell off, revealing itself to just be a patch of dead skin on her cheek.

_Well then…_ Kallen sighed, a combination of disappointment and relief.

The bashful Knight of Ten went back on track, applying the finishing touches of a mild makeup for the rest of the day. Thinking back on it, it still boggled her mind that she would end up taking Marrybell's advice on beauty and style so seriously. Not that she was a slothful tomboy before this, but Kallen never would have imagined herself polishing her eyelashes in front of a mirror aboard the Ikaruga.

After she was satisfied with the minuscule adjustment to her appearance that in reality is most likely impossible to notice, Kallen spread a smooth layer of moisturizing lotion over her face and upper torso. Finally, she decided to pander to herself, giving her breasts a quick fondle; just a little bit, just making sure they were still firm but soft, mellow yet perky.

_Nice… bigger than C.C._

Before she forgot, Kallen picked a set of earrings from a moderate selection of accessories lent to her by Marrybell. Amidst was a pair that resembled extremely closely to the Geass sigil, the chains balanced the two tips of the wing by connecting to the heavier crevice on the bottom. It was a fitting adornment on her, Kallen judged, impelling her to take it for a test run.

Thereby concluding her mission in the washroom, Kallen entered the bedroom and was immediately greeted by the illimitation of a winter sun beaming a tame morning ray through the windows. She traced the ray of light to its conclusion on the king-sized bed, where Lelouch was peacefully resting on, with a tablet one hand and a sandwich in the other.

"Breakfast in bed, Your Majesty? How very… lenient of you." Kallen said to the Emperor, his attention still mostly on the touchscreen.

"I am known to be a magnanimous ruler, you see." Lelouch raised his sight to meet hers, but for just a moment it got stuck on her breasts instead.

It was an instant of hesitation no normal person would have noticed, or resist. Although Kallen was confident that she gave no other man alive the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her body as she gave to Lelouch. And to witness his profound gaze linger ever so slightly over her natural assets made the Ace pilot's day a little more fulfilled.

"Hmm? Seeing something you like, Your Majesty?"

"Must you take after the worst aspects of the witch?"

"Boo~! You're no fun. Is C.C. your get-out-of-jail-free card?" Kallen inched closer, despite knowing her bra and uniform were hung in the closet instead of somewhere near Lelouch.

"See, you're actively choosing to mention her in this conversation, against your better judgment."

"Well, I did do this to myself, I guess." Kallen paused, determined to discard the spoiled topic for something more engaging.

She moved her body closer to the bedside, obviously signalling to him that she is within arm's reach. "You've been visited by the… ermm- by the boobies of good fondles! Enjoyment and pleasure will come to you, but only if you… post a… post a honk, honk in this thread!"

It wasn't a flawlessly executed invitation, she stumbled twice on the improvisation. However, it did earn a heartfelt chuckle out of Lelouch, even as he tried to conceal his amusement of her immature humour behind the tablet.

"Kallen, this will not please you, but I must decline. I'm sure we'll have ample opportunities to resume tonight." Although as he declared his reluctance to feast on the meal, Lelouch did plant a sturdy grip on her breast, albeit momentarily, only as an appetizer.

"Kyaaa, what a perv~" Kallen deadpanned a moan.

"Alright, now go get dressed, we have a country to run… or try to."

"What's on the schedule today?" Kallen asked while picking out a pair of underwear that she predicted would most align with Lelouch's taste came nighttime.

"Probably a lot of maintenance for the fallout of losing France and Germany to the UFN. As expected of Kaguya, to sway two sovereign nations to take up the federation banner in such a short time is no easy task, I'm starting to think I underutilized her when we were still with the Black Knights."

"I mean, she is really smart. Although if you took a more hands-on approach, she won't be able to hold a candle to you. I guess it isn't too big of a problem since you're letting… what's-her-face…? I can't remember the name, but your Prime Minister, she's doing alright."

"Guinevere, she isn't stupid. She isn't Schneizel smart… but not stupid. There's that one time when she tried to open over a hundred internment camps across the Areas, but which of my siblings haven't." Kallen simply shrugged, it was hard to judge most of Lelouch's relatives now that their characteristics had been revised to erase some of their major flaws.

"Well, I don't mind if you make others endorse your laziness, I endorse it, in fact. But are you sure the rest of the country is fine with that also?"

"Truthfully, I have been slothful… nonetheless, Britannia is still on the upturn. We're maintaining our status as a world power without oppressing those less developed countries, I'd like to think of it as a happy middle ground. Besides, if it wasn't for me, we'd be fighting against… the entirety of the world right now."

"Touché" For better or for worse, the world could only be enjoying its period of peace thanks to the generous rule of Britannia's Emperor of Justice. To Kallen, even if his title was a charade, it was the man under the crown whom she cared for.

"With that out of the way, I need a favour from you, it's really fast." Kallen spun around at the king's demand, catching the closet door on the way out after she clipped on her cloak.

"What can I do?" The job came soaring towards her in the shape of a small metallic object, thrown by Lelouch.

Kallen snatched it out of the air easily, in her closed fist she felt the object was roughly palm length long and about half as high. Its glossy aluminium surface and weighty mass didn't compile a picture that fitted her initial image of what the item could be. It was a model car, shiny and chrome. From a single glance, she could already tell there was excruciating artisanship behind every nook and cranny of the minimized vehicle crafted by hand.

"Dude… very nice Hot Wheels. Do you think I can afford a McLaren P1 in real life with my salary?" While she was puzzled by the purpose Lelouch sought to achieve by passing her his toy, it didn't take too much effort to respect his taste.

"Give it a couple of years. Now just stand there for a bit." Lelouch confidently replied, his focus soon switched to his phone.

"A couple of years? Sounds like I need a raise."

"Yes, yes… now look at me." Kallen heeded his order, and the crimson bird of Geass lit ablaze in Lelouch's irises were the first thing she saw. "I want you to… want you to… roll that car over your face and make some engine noises, like a five-year-old."

Approximately two seconds passed in complete silence and stillness, just enough time for Kallen to be befuddled.

"What the hell…? Are you trying to Geass me? Haven't you done that once already?"

"No, no. Don't worry about it, just pass me back my car." Rattled by the unsolved mystery before her, Kallen wordlessly tossed the toy to Lelouch.

"Wanna tell me what that's about?"

"In time, I promise. But for now, let's actually get going. There're meetings to sleep through today." Hastily cutting off the conversation and dressing in his garbs, Lelouch's attitude made it very obvious that wasn't a discussion to be had at that time.

"…Great, I'll practice my ability to sleep upright." Howbeit bemused she was, Kallen didn't let the strange action of her beloved king linger in her thoughts.

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Imperial Palace**

For about four hours, Kallen was subjected to some of the most mundane disputes she ever had the displeasure of attending to. Talks of politics, talks of economy, talks of diplomacy; none of which drew anything more than a bore out of the Knight of Ten. And all of it caused by the UFN's sudden acquisition of two major European nations.

_I'm gonna get you for this one, Kaguya… making me sit through all this crap._ Kallen's only saving grace was the mask she hid herself behind as she stood by Lelouch's side, enabling her to yawn all she wished without exposing the coarse action. If the Emperor was just as bored as she was, the meticulous technique he won his debates and arguments wasn't a sign of it.

After four whole hours, the conference was finally wrapped up once Lelouch gave a final speech regarding the future of the two superpowers enduring a bloodless competition. His points were tight and message thorough. At the rate things were heading, the escalating tension between Britannia and the UFN was bound to lead to another outbreak of war.

— —

"Y-Your Majesty! A moment please!" As many members of the council slowly trickled out of the meeting, a crisp and high-pitched voice caught Lelouch's attention when he and Kallen made their exit.

"Miss Einstein, or is it Doctor now?"

"Oh, no, no! I'm still missing my Master's, that's something I need to start putting a bit more effort into." The implication being that Nina blasted through the rest of her courses on her way to obtaining a PhD.

"Good luck with your studies. So what is this about?"

"Yes, errm… right, here we go. I'd like your permission to relocate my sakuradite and F.L.E.I.J.A. research from Camelot to a new R&D department under my jurisdiction… if-if it's alright with you, Your Majesty!" Nina boldly requested. Her legs started to tremor timidly when Lelouch wordlessly stared her on.

"Is there something wrong with Camelot?"

"No, not at all! It's just that… our objectives don't really line up and Earl Asplund is much more interested in Knightmare development. I'm hoping to put more research into the energy production aspect of sakuradite…"

"Did you speak to Lloyd about this proposal?"

"Yes, of course! I have his approval, and I'll submit a formal petition tomorrow! I wanted to run this by you to see if you're willing to give it a green light…" Lelouch seemed deep in thought, the conference room he came from had mostly emptied out by now.

"Is it necessary to also move the F.L.E.I.J.A. research if your goal is the sakuradite?"

"I need it to finish my development of the F.L.E.I.J.A Eliminator, I don't want to lose precious time in the bureaucracy otherwise. N-not that I don't trust Camelot to-to takeover for my work! It's just… we have enough warheads to cover every inch of the planet in fire… the Eliminator should come in handy were things to…" That was a daunting statement coming from Nina, Kallen couldn't imagine how it must feel to have an arsenal large enough to destroy the world under one's thumb.

"…I'll take a look at your formal submission tomorrow, then we'll see."

"Right… thank you very much, Your Majesty!" Nina politely bowed and left, still somewhat nervous under her skin. Kallen supposed it couldn't be helped, being the sole inventor of a WMD capable of wiping out humanity tends to do that to a person.

"All the stockpile of F.L.E.I.J.A. we have, what for?" Once the scientist was out of sight, Kallen asked her liege as they walked away from the nearby crowds.

"For Schneizel, to prevent him from using his stockpile."

"I know that, but what about after you defeat him?"

"Not 'if'?" Lelouch humorously nitpicked.

" 'When' you defeat him."

"I cannot say. With the prospect of F.L.E.I.J.A.'s devastation in my hand, and only my hand. I can unite the world. Sure, it'll be through fear and domination, but there will be everlasting peace."

"And will you?"

"Will you let me?" That question had Kallen stumped, despite the easy answer she thought she held.

"No… if you become that evil… I'll stop you. I promised I'll be there to drag you out of whatever mess you'll make." However, there was a shred of unseen hesitation when she made her declaration.

"Excellent, then we're in agreement."

"Let's not talk about that too much, I trust you won't be dummying me with a bomb in the near future. Why don't we go grab a bite to eat? We can dine out if you have nothing else going on in the afternoon."

Lelouch peeked at his phone, checking the time. "Sure, take me to your favourite restaurant."

"You'll be looking at a long list, pick a number from one to seven hundred, we can go from there."

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Medical Ward**

Two rapid knocks, a pause, and two more, that was the pattern. "Euphie, I'm coming in."

As Suzaku swung open the door carefully to a temporary studio apartment at the far end of the hospital and saw a tranquil Euphemia slouching on the couch, he grew immediately hesitant. The first sight of his princess recognizing his arrival was a vehement flinch, one that both of them were quite accustomed to by that point in their relationship.

"…Suzaku, do you like anime?" If she didn't want to comment on it, he too would quash his worries.

"Oh, they're… alright. I rarely watched them as a kid. After the invasion, I never had the time."

"Come to me, sit." Euphie patted the empty spot on the sofa beside her, a reluctant Suzaku obeyed. "I think you'll like this show, it's about this really muscular guy in the middle ages and his band of mercenary soldiers. It's really gory and stuff, but I really enjoy it. There's also a guy that sounds just like you! It's pretty crazy."

"But anime is made by…"

"Yeah, that's why I'm hoping it helps. Exposure therapy." Euphemia tapped on her own forehead, indicating her vast sum of knowledge. Her cute smile swayed Suzaku's ambiguity.

While the princess under house arrest was absorbed by the animated television presented on a wide flatscreen, the Knight of Zero preoccupied himself with more consequential affairs that he couldn't stop worrying.

Suzaku, for his part as the sole culprit accountable for her revival, made sure Euphemia was well cared for under the conditions that bound her. He wanted to think her every need was met and none of her wishes was denied as long as they stood reasonable. Three meals a day plus all the snacks and drinks she could dream of, a computer and a gaming device with a limited internet connection to keep her entertained. In Addition, she was always one press away on the intercom from dialling his or C.C.'s number.

In spite of all that, Suzaku was still fretted by the apprehension of Euphie's new unpredictable personality, and her honest opinion of being kept locked up in a single bedroom without true freedom. Also, there was the smidgen of guilt that withered at his consciousness, whispering to him that he didn't have the right to hide Euphemia's presence to the world.

"-Suzaku… Suzaku! Hello!?"

"-Huh? Oh, yes. What's wrong?" The Lancelot's Devicer shook himself awake, realizing that he had gone into his own head for far too long.

"I'm starting to wonder if you ever listen to a word I say."

"Of course I do! I was just… thinking about you and… other stuff."

"Right… and what was I talking about when you were zooming out?"

"Hmm… was it how this anime…" Suzaku peeked at the screen, hoping to snatch some sort of hints to free himself from Euphie's interrogation. "Looks kinda old…?"

Reading the dejected accusation that surfaced over Euphemia's pout, Suzaku shied away from meeting her eye. Slowly and carefully, she slumped from where she sat into the knight's lap, gently taking a free hand of his into her own fingers and borrowed it to stroke her cheeks.

"Suzaku… my love, I do not wish to pressure you needlessly and you do not have to answer me honestly. But why must it be so strenuous for you to be happy? Egotistical as I may sound, are you not delighted by our reunion?"

Suzaku's instinct told him to react strongly, to immediately deny any allegations that served to provoke a dissatisfaction from him even after bringing back the Euphie who laid comfortingly over his knees.

However, he gave her suggestion some genuine thought and found it not without its merit. "I don't know… it still feels so unreal to me, like any moment… I could wake up from this dream, and be confronted with a cruel reality."

"How can I prove to you that my existence is attested? That my love for you is authentic?"

"I… I also don't know." How was he supposed to convince himself of the happily ever after that he earned if the story had yet to reach its finale, Suzaku had no clue.

"How about this? You can let me out of this room, then we can go back to the way things were. I was going to renounce my name and status for the SAZ, but that didn't end up making the headlines. It's the one silver lining that's left." That suggestion tensed every fibre in Suzaku's body, not without reasons.

"Euphie… I'm sorry to be the one telling you this; but even if you haven't renounced your title, they deprived your status afterwards for what happened. Besides, I don't think the world will take to your return with enthusiasm…" The rationale behind his statements was palpable, but logic didn't seem to meld well with the abandoned royalty.

"I told you, I don't care what the world thinks! The only ones I'll look out for from now on are me and you!" Euphemia was riled up by Suzaku's rejection, not knowing how much it pained him as well. "It'll be so easy, Suzaku. I can take a picture on your phone and in less than five minutes, the news of my reappearance will be halfway across the planet."

"I'm sorry… I cannot allow that, Euphie. If you ask to be reinstated to the royal bloodline- not even that- if the world knows you're still alive. You'd jeopardize many plans Lelouch and I drew together."

"What plans!? What plans does His Imperial Majesty Lelouch have that can be jeopardized!? What plans… can be jeopardized by giving me back what is mine…? He took it, didn't he? He took everything from me…!"

"Euphie… it's going to be okay, it'll all work out in the end." It was all he could think of to say, to relieve her of suffering a crisis he didn't bear.

"He's… he's my brother, Suzaku! We've been together ever since we were children! I… I adored him, I loved him! I was ready to give up everything for his goal!" Tears of remorse and resentment started to burst out uncontrollably from the disheartened victim of Lelouch's Geass, damping Suzaku's knees as Euphie hiccupped between some of her words.

"And yet… how could he do this to me! After saying that we'll work together to maintain the SAZ! After saying he was giving up… he used his power on me! He made me- made me kill thousands of people that day! He made me into a monster for his own ambition! Even now, it still haunts me… even now I'm still a shadow of my former self!"

"Euphie… it's okay, Euphie. I love you… Euphemia."

Nothing could he say would ease the traumatized heart of the girl he loved, Suzaku understood that clear as day. Even if she judged his attempt at comfort to be shallow and frivolous, he couldn't stop repeating the tragic princess' name until her heartbreaking cry eased down.

_Lelouch… why did you do such a thing? I understand you better now than ever before… but I don't understand why you did this to her, to your own sister._ It was easy to sympathize with Euphemia, to sympathize with a blameless angel brought to ruination through no fault of her own. It was the Emperor's past that Suzaku couldn't interpret, it didn't match anything he had done since.

"Suzaku… you're the only one I have left, you're the only one for me… Please, promise me that you'll never betray me… that you'll never leave me."

"I promise you." It wasn't a hard vow to make, and Suzaku would make sure it wasn't a hard vow to keep.

"It's a bit embarrassing now… to think I was planning on consoling you when we first started talking about all this… what am I going to do without you in my life, Suzaku…" Hearing that, and seeing Euphie's depressing frown disappear set a smile to Suzaku's own scowl.

"I'm really just happy that you're a part of it, Euphie."

"Well, I just thought of a way you can prove it. Heed a proposition of mine, will you?" Ever so briefly, Suzaku thought he saw a flash of smirk cast over Euphemia's features once her tears dried up.

"Yeah… what is it?" Again, too fleeting for his brain to properly register, but Suzaku could swear he saw the tip of Euphie's tongue wet the corner of her mouth.

Suddenly, the pure and innocent royalty yanked herself up by the collars of Suzaku's cape, catching him by surprise and dragged his upper body towards her onto the sofa with her. The next few seconds happened in slow motion for the stunned pilot, as Euphemia flipped her body on top of his in a spectacular display of agility, her bright-red lips snatched his own in a moment of explosive passion, Suzaku was completely incapable of responding in kind due to the shock of her bold action.

"-Eupi-mm—!"

However, his unpreparedness didn't demoralize the princess from continuing to explore the inside of his mouth. Too slow did it become apparent to him that Euphemia was not only seeking a simple peck on the lips, instead it was turning into a true French kiss that wasn't going to stop until Suzaku's lungs were drained of oxygen.

Eventually, only when both of them couldn't last a moment longer without breathing, Euphie released him from her grip, hungrily inhaling all the air which was deprived of her a dozen seconds prior. Nevertheless, when Suzaku tried prudently to pry the drooling princess off his body, he was opposed by the fierce clutch she wrapped firmly around his neck.

"Euphie… we can't." When her intentions became as obvious as her flushed cheek that in all likelihood mirrored his, Suzaku's heart rate spiked.

"Says who, my love?" The question was simple, yet it perplexed him all the more. "Let me prove to you just how reliant I am of you, Suzaku. Let yourself be pampered in the bosom that you deserve…" Seductive in a manner Suzaku never imagined Euphemia to be capable of, she muttered so sweetly into his ear as she unzipped the top of her blouse.

"B-but you are-!"

"What? A princess? That got revoked, remember? Or what, a virgin?" The upstanding knight tried as he may to stop her, but the resolute princess overpowered his shaky resistance easily.

"No! -Yes! -I mean- you're both of those!"

"Well… we can fix one together… real fast."

"No, still…! We- we can't! Lelouch will—"

"-Don't bring him up! DON'T!" In a whimpering squeal, Euphemia made it very clear where her preferences laid. "…Please, you'll ruin the mood, please."

"But… but Euphie…"

"Is it this body…? My scars, my stitches? In your eyes, am I a walking corpse, an abomination of a creature?" Growing desperate, Euphemia clawed at the Y-shaped wound slicing across her chest. Instantly, the sheer terror that struck him crumbled Suzaku's mental fortitude in bulks.

"No, never! You're beautiful… the most beautiful person I've ever set my sights on!"

"Then why won't you get it, Suzaku? Do I have to do a striptease for you to be into me?" Suzaku shuddered at the mere imagination of Euphie's enticing offer, barely keeping himself a man of morals before needs.

At least he maintained that standard all the way up until Euphie's crystal purple irises glistered a new glint, a devilish smirk graced Suzaku's view as he became more engrossed in the gritty girl than ever before. His body stiffened under her weight, giving her easy access to nib at the brim of his ear and breath softly down his neck.

And then she muttered something directly into Suzaku's ear, settling the short bout between her temptation and his determination in an instant.

"Fuck me… in any way you like…"

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Pisces Imperial Villa**

Partially, Kallen was thankful she didn't have to accompany Lelouch for his afternoon meetings. Something about being a tad more adventurous with his attendants, he asked for Anya to guard him in place of the usual Knight of Ten. Then again, the feeling that she got swapped out for a petite child who was half her size across the board wasn't too pleasant, despite knowing it wasn't a competition in the least.

_Holy shit… I'll literally kill myself if he's a pedophile._

"Kallen, my pretty. Brainstorm something intriguing, will you?"

"…Pardon, what was that?" As she sipped on her soothing tea and daydreamed about Lelouch's elegance, Kallen missed words that came from the young princess sitting beside her in the Villa's garden.

"I said," Marrybell gracefully coughed, clearing her throat. "Let's talk about something fun, not just drinking tea and eating biscuits all day."

"Well, I do have this one thing that's been bothering me." Kallen gently placed her teacup on the saucer and whipped up a trivial nuisance of hers that could be solved right then and there.

"Go right ahead, darling."

"So Lelouch gave me the alias 'Morgan Mercury' when we were undercover last time, I'm just wondering what it means. I believe I have some idea for the Morgan, most likely named after Morgan le Fay."

"The sorceress from Arthurian legend, we certainly like those. Regardless, why do you think that is?"

Kallen found herself blushing when she opened her mouth to reply. A temporary hindrance, she told herself, it wasn't like the reason was supposed to be confidential or anything. "Lelouch… he's liking to call me his 'queen', quote, unquote. Probably to satisfy his chess analogy, what a weirdo, am I right. But yeah, since Guinevere is already taken, I have to settle for the other queen."

"I see, most… fascinating. It is smart of him." Marrybell said, earnestly nodding to show her approval.

"But it's the Mercury part I don't get, like- what is that? The planet or the element? Maybe the Roman god? Roman mythology sucks though, so I don't understand." Kallen ranted on as Marrybell narrowed her eyes in contemplation, perhaps musing somewhat too in-depth on a nickname that could be created on a whim.

"Mercury… mercury… not a movie, unlikely a book… a character? But also queen… oh- ahh! I see, I see!" Suddenly, a flash of brilliance illuminated Marrybell's expression, she soon started to laugh like a schoolgirl after a prank gone aright. "That is rather brilliant, and hilarious indeed! As expected of my brother, most fitting I see."

"So? What does it mean, please tell me?"

"Wait, wait. Give me a second… yes. You see, it's an apt alias for you since you're quite a 'killer queen' yourself." Marrybell seriously couldn't stop grinning as she ensnared Kallen with a deliberated glance.

"Okay… thanks? But seriously, what does it mean?"

"Oh… oh no…" The second exclamation almost sounded disappointing. "Hmm, how about this. 'I'm feeling pretty lonely by myself these days. Please, can you find me somebody to love?'"

"What? Don't you have—?" That was when Kallen stopped herself, realizing that Marrybell wasn't speaking on a surface level. "Well, I'm having a real whoosh moment right now, I don't think I get it."

"Oh dear, no worries, here is another one. 'As the commander of the undefeated Glinda Knights, sometimes I really feel like we are the champions."

This time, Kallen only gave a depressing head shake as her reply.

"Alright… 'You know, when you're together with Lelouch, don't you think you can be princes of the universe?' Wait- the gender makes no sense, blah! Whatever."

"I'm starting to feel really bad about this." All of Marrybell's effort brainstorming ways to construct her sentences were totally lost on the perplexed and humbled Devicer.

"…Bohemian Rhapsody." Marrybell simply said, her energy annihilated.

"I'm really, really sorry."

"Unreal… utterly unreal, my pretty. You're just so… you're giving me a 'sheer heart attack'! There, that's my last one, I don't wanna do anymore. You're driving me unconditionally bonkers." Marrybell pouted, still adorable despite her pent-up anger.

"Yeah, it's getting kinda cringy, not gonna lie."

"You said it."

"Can you tell me what this is about now?"

"I take it you've never heard of the band Queen, and their lead singer Freddie Mercury?"

"…No."

"Oh… oh, oh! I am literally, physically, about to explode."

— —

"~To avoid complications- ~she never kept the same address. ~In conversation- she spoke just like a-baroness~!" Marrybell struck on the keys of her piano with zealous sparkle, her body bobbing and nodding to the upbeat rhythm that reverberated nicely in one of the Villa's many living rooms.

"~She's a Killer Queen~! Gunpowder, gelatine~ dynamite with a laser beam~! Guaranteed to blow your mind…~ anytime~! ~Recommended at the price~ insatiable an appetite~ …~Wanna try…?" In due time, the music faded out and Marrybell relaxed her posture and her voice.

"Woah… that was… incredible. You weren't kidding when you said you dabble in music." Kallen didn't even notice she was offering thunderous applause until her hand stung a little from how long she clapped for the pianist. "Where did you learn to play?"

"It was part of my curriculums growing up, every child of the noble blood has to have something they can boast about… and by 'they' I meant their mother."

"And suddenly it's not all sunshine and rainbows."

"Partially, but I never disliked music. It's a language that transcends all barriers. No gender, ethnicity, social class or politics can stop someone from understanding music." While sounding philosophical as she seemed to like to do, Marrybell paused. "Well, I guess not deaf people, they don't get to enjoy it. But why am I shooting myself in the foot."

"A question for the ages."

"Anyway, all of my successful siblings have something they excel at. Schneizel and Lelouch have their art of war, Cornelia has her generalship, Guinevere has her… ability to spread her legs-? You didn't hear it from me." Heartily, Kallen laughed. "And Carine has her… her, you know what, she isn't successful."

"What about Odysseus?"

"Odysseus… oh dear, this metaphor is falling apart. I suppose Odysseus is very gentle, it's almost unfortunate, he would've lived a better life were he not born of the Imperial blood. The same can be said for Clovis, he was too kind for the world." A glare coming from Kallen made Marrybell flinch in the middle of her reminiscence. "But we'll speak of this no longer, seeing as it can prove to be contentious."

"Contentious won't cut it. You're sympathizing with a mass murderer! Do you not know what he did in the Shinjuku ghetto?!" However, the newest Knight of Rounds still had Japanese blood running in her veins, and was unwilling to drop the souring conversation.

"I didn't say sympathize; I can empathize with him, understand the difference. I would've done the same thing in his place." Those were the feistiest of fighting words to ever grace Kallen's ears, especially when it struck so close to home.

"You're willing to kill thousands?!"

"If it means saving millions? Absolutely. The terrorists had access to a lethal poison gas that could endanger the entire Tokyo settlement, the lives of thousands is a necessary sacrifice under those conditions."

"It was prison gas Britannia created!" Kallen fiercely countered. Understanding that they were arguing the hypothesis instead of the truth, she didn't find it necessary to bring up the real content of the container.

"In a safe and controlled environment! In the hands of the civilized, weapons are not just tools for slaughter. They're a means to negotiate, to deter, to terrify our enemies. Just like what Zero did at his first appearance." Kallen rattled her brain to design a comeback, but her tongue was tied at the roots.

"In fact, why do you think we're still standing here, right now? Why is Pendragon still standing and not a crater? Lelouch's F.L.E.I.J.A. keeps Schneizel at bay, keeping us alive and the city protected!"

"And I wish it weren't so! I wish something so devastating like F.L.E.I.J.A. was never invented!" Just recalling back to the pink mist that swallowed Tokyo and the millions of souls who lived there sent chills down her spine.

"Kallen, everybody can wish! I wish that my family is still alive, I wish that we can have world peace and put an end to this endless war, I wish that Oldrin will love me again! Wishes and hopes are worthless, the only thing that can change the world is results. In the end… result is the only thing that matters." Solemnly, Marrybell ended her restless shouts with a creed she believed.

"So you're willing to do anything, kill anything to achieve that result? Is that what you're telling me?"

"God Kallen, you're such a hypocrite. I am one too, but at least I'll admit it. But you, you're a woman fighting for love, fighting to secure power for your boyfriend. Where do you find the galls to criticize me? And before that?! You were going around killing the very people you're serving right now!" A personal attack was a low-blow, although it pained Kallen all the same.

"People change, allegiances change, even for me! But my ideology still remains! I still follow what Zero believed in, protecting the weak. And with Lelouch on the throne bringing peace to the world, it's the best way to attain that goal."

"You say peace like it's just within the grasp of our hands. Peace only comes after the war, the carnage. Peace demands a sacrifice of lives, an offering of blood. Humans by nature are vicious creatures, we'll only obtain world peace when we have something better to do than killing each other. You know the saying, right? '_Si vis Pacem_'…"

"-_Para bellum_'." Kallen finished the phrase in her place. However, the wisdom behind another language didn't take the weight off her shoulders. "To achieve peace, make war…', God, that's so fucked… why does it have to be this way? Why can't we just coexist?"

"Someone must be sacrificed; someone must be the villain. All of us stained our hands with blood for something, all of us will get our comeuppance. Until that day, I'll keep fighting, keep killing in hopes of reaching a better tomorrow." Listening and debating against Marrybell's ideals had led Kallen to a single, albeit outlandish conclusion.

She wasn't that different from Lelouch, from Zero.

"Killing for something… is better than killing for nothing, I guess. I'm glad we can agree on that. At least you're better the last Knight of Ten, Your Highness. Or the massacre princess." Peeking at the bright side of the dispute through their curtain of misery, Kallen recognized that her Viceroy friend could always be much worse.

"Euphie… she established the SAZ, just to kill all those people… I don't understand, I really do not understand her reasoning." To Kallen's surprise, she was seeing an authentic expression of bewilderment on Marrybell.

"Maybe she's just plain crazy."

"I don't want to believe that, the Euphemia I remember is always so nice and sweet. I don't want to think that someone was a better faker than me." Marrybell's dilemma was almost funny enough for a chuckle. "I mean, how can someone appear sane for their entire life, and then just snap like that? All she did before that was meeting Zero… Zero? Zero… made her do it?"

In that exact moment, as Marrybell struggled to analyze the vindication behind the actions of an insane tyrant, their eyes met; one was of revelation and enlightenment while the other was of angst and uneasiness. Unquestionably, Marrybell made a discovery so outlandish and unthinkable yet at the same time, ground-breaking.

_Oh god… why did I mention Euphemia? I swear to God if this girl figures it out._ It would be an abstract deduction to make, but not impossible. Outlandish would she initially consider the concept to be; that Lelouch was Zero, and Lelouch Geassed the sub-Viceroy of Area Eleven at the time to commit the unthinkable genocide. However, that was the irrefutable truth he tried to secrete, a truth which was on the brink of discovery.

"Zero… must've threatened her with the lives of Lelouch and Nunnally, yes, that makes sense. My siblings were exiled to Japan and declared dead after the war. Since the latter has proven to be false, it only makes sense that Zero was aware of their identities… and potentially held them hostage during his rebellion…"

_Okay… okay. Not there yet._ Kallen slightly mitigated the tension in her body once Marrybell was assured by her take on the story.

"I won't say it's not something Zero would do, I wasn't so close to him at that point." To neither straight up confirm or deny the theory was Kallen's best bet.

"Regardless, it is the most likely theory. Sadly, powerless am I to make a difference now, as both of them are dead and have taken the truth to their graves."

"Well, that's that, I guess. What were we even talking about before we got sidetracked this hard?" Seizing the opportunity, Kallen tried to distract Marrybell as soon as possible to suppress her from dawdling on the year-old massacre.

"I was going to send you my link to download Spotify premium, positively cannot believe you don't have it." The friendly and affable Marrybell reappeared at the snap of the fingers, just a little bit scary how abrupt her mood could swing.

"Yeah, how primitive of me, pirating songs off the internet? Shame."

"Keeping your hubris in check, I see. I'm sure I've induced you to the wonders of play-as you-go. Now, you want me to PM you on Twitter or Instagram?" Those were words almost too foreign for Kallen. Her social media presence was one of the few aspects of her life she couldn't brag about.

"Doesn't matter."

"Twitter it is, closer on my home screen. Also, consider following me, I'm quite popular."

"Oooh… sorry, I can't. I'm supposed to be dead, remember. Haven't posted anything in three months." It was a sacrifice she had to make to be with the Britannia Emperor. The image left behind by her former self will be dearly missed, Kallen promised herself.

"Tragic, I'm almost at forty million followers." Marrybell subtly bragged. A hint of pride lit her smile as she tapped at a ludicrous speed on her smartphone.

"Holy shit, that many? What do you even post?"

"Oh, you know… just like- selfies and blogs and whatever." That was what they all said. "And here you go, use my link for a year of premium, call me again after that and I'll renew for you."

"Thanks, princess. And… sorry, for picking a fight earlier."

"Already forgiven and forgotten."

Swiftly, Kallen tapped on the notification icon and was taken to a download link for the app Marrybell endorsed. While the download was in progress, she browsed around her Twitter timeline seeking insignificant news and gossip that probably wouldn't be able to retain her attention long enough after the headlines.

That stood true, mostly, all except the two highest trending tags. _Impossible… impossible…_

"…Why is… Euphemia's twitter account on trending…?" Kallen barely managed to scrape together a question after overcoming her first inclination to panic, only to be faced with the same horrifying expression that Marrybell shared.

"And it's trending with '#massacreprincess'… oh, dear." Announced the young commander fearfully, her hands passively shaking ever so slightly. "Oh… no, Euphie's account posted a video…"

"When?"

"Five… minutes ago."

— —

**Author's note**

How do three major scenes take up an entire chapter? Is my writing too verbose? Is the pacing too slow? Should I be bothered by the word count on everyone chapter? Let me know by telepathing your opinion directly into my brain.

Not gonna lie, Kallen was pretty cute this chapter, it's weird me saying that since I wrote it, but I can see her behaving this way canonically if given the circumstances. I've given her lots of interactions with other characters, seeing as she didn't really have many friends in canon and that's kinda sad.

I wish my interpretation of Euphemia isn't too OOC. Obviously, she's a different person compared to how she was before dying. I don't think it's too out there for her to blame Lelouch for killing her since to her she just sees him pretending to agree to the SAZ and then Geassed her. I don't want to write her as too edgy or emo or whatever, just a little bit wilder and Japanese-kill-y, so hopefully I'll succeed.

She is an important character though, like Marrybell. I hope you can tag more than four characters in the description, I've added her and Euphemia to it. I wish that the Marrybell I've written (who admittedly is like- one third an OC) is somewhat a good character, I really liked her design when I first saw it in the manga, and it gave me the idea of adding her in the story. Although the lack of translated works means that I had to supplement a lot of her character by this point in the canon timeline. Hopefully, she isn't too terrible, or cringe. (Unlike the Queen songs joke, I found that cringe pretty funny when I wrote it, might delete later on repeated readthrough)

Replying to Marche V's review about how he missed Lelouch (since he isn't making frequent appearances like before): Lelouch is still relevant, that's for sure. But for now, he's more of a static, or passive character, because he doesn't really want to go ahead with Zero Requiem but still wants a peaceful world, so he's just procrastinating. Sooner or later something will happen to pull him back in the thick of it, or else what am I writing?

Bye.

Post-upload reply to Divide by Zero's review on Euphemia's character presented in this story, this reply will be reposted on the next chapter's AN:

Real fast, thanks for leaving your review, I've always wanted to discuss this story with someone who's interested. Now, my opinion on memories is that the brain is altered under the effect of Geass, that's why people forget what happened once it wears off, since Euphemia died while the Geass was still active, her altered mindset never reverts back even after being revived. So even if a Geass canceller is used on her, it won't change anything since the Geass itself is gone, but her brain is still altered. That's why she isn't constantly trying to kill Suzaku since it's effect has lessened because the year that passed and the imperfect reconstruction of her brain.

In this chapter, when Euphemia said Lelouch promised to work together on the SAZ and give up his plan before Geassing her, that was referring to their conversation in the G-1. So yes, Euphemia more or less remembers everything. That's all I can say for now without getting into spoilers, but I promise I have her character mostly planned out. You just have to trust me on it. I also want to point out that since the scene with her takes place from Suzaku's PoV, the narration is just his interpretation on her thoughts, whether Euphemia really hates Lelouch or not is up to future chapters, it'll be a pretty sizable plot point though.


	15. The Fappening except not really

**The Fappening except not really**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Medical Ward**

**Two and a half months after Lelouch's accession**

The camera was set to landscape, filming the motionless view of an undisclosed hotel room. In its sight was a single messy bed with blankets dangling off the edge. Beside it was a sofa missing one of its three mattresses. That angle was held for about five seconds until the tip of someone's head peeped onto the screen, a head of incontestable pink.

Popping out of the woodworks, Euphemia's lively lilac eyes stared intensely into the camera, her blinks spread out over the longest of intervals possible. Her distinct features were as unreadable as recognizable, seeming like the passage of time over the years since her demise never caught up to her.

That was followed by vivid laughter, way too jarring compared to her previous sober aura, giving off the feeling of seeing a mascot take off their costume at Disneyland.

"—~Ahaha~ I was going to say something like 'the news of my death has been greatly exaggerated!' but I just couldn't, I would've choked on the cheesiness!" Euphemia lessened her laugh to a faint giggle, stepping away from the camera as she did so.

The presumed dead princess trod into the background, letting her entire body be captured in the video. Gleefully, she performed a gracious twirl in full view, showing off her scantily clad body only shielded by an one-piece transparent sleepwear, the keenest of eyes could just barely make out the laces of her bras and panties underneath, setting herself up for another ripe scandal.

"—You don't have to believe it, maybe I'm a very indistinguishable double of the third princess, who just happens to know her account's password," She plucked the camera off the table, unveiling its true model as a smartphone when she flipped it vertically to capture herself in the shot. Light like a feather, she hopped next to the window, drew apart the curtains and unveiled the scenery of the Imperial Palace across the pane of glass. "—and live in the capital, but believe what you want."

"—This's just meant to be an announcement. You speculate all you want about all that happened, and I really do mean all the things. But now you know I'm back, and… err, Back In Black?"

From somewhere behind her, a door creaked open, attracting the attention of the monologuing princess. Pure darkness enveloped the screen for the briefest of seconds before the video resumed, this time showing the back camera of the phone in action, and it was capturing the unequivocally stunned expression of a half-naked Suzaku in a pair of t-shirt and shorts who just stepped out of the washroom.

"—E-E-Euphie-!? What're you doing!?" As his entire character gradually morphed from displaying utter perplexity to abhorrent grasp of the scenario, it was already too late.

"—Ahh~! Send it, send it, sen—" Then the video cut out, and judging by its current rank as the most viewed WebM on Twitter of the month, it was fair to say Euphemia succeeded.

— —

Pacing herself between a full-body dash and a marathon jog, Kallen was scampering to get to the east-wing of the Imperial Medical Ward as fast as possible without ditching Marrybell and her lackluster stamina.

"You sure that's the right place in the video, right?!" Kallen shouted, letting the wind carry her voice to the princess in her trail.

"Yeah… yeah! It's where they kept me after my castle got burned but before they shipped me off to Spain!"

Rounding the corner at a speed just below that of an Olympic sprinter, Kallen came to a violent stop as she all but busted down the entrance of the room Euphemia broadcasted from.

"Hey! Open up, open up! I know you're in there! You're making it way more difficult than it needs to be, Kururugi!" She smashed her closed fist against the wood door, relentless in her pursuit of the truth.

"You're sure this is the right place?" When no host came to address her precipitous visit, Kallen turned around and asked Marrybell.

"Wait… wait, wait…" The younger redhead was tapping nimbly on her smartphone, a bead of sweat leaking down from her brow. "-Yep! Yes, it's true! The signal originated from this very room."

"Kururugi! C'mon, just open up already! I'll literally, not even as a joke- take a buckshot to this door if I must!" Her follow up threat was no less sincere than her first, and the noise of a bolt latch being released was her tip that the warning worked.

"Oh my, oh my! How pointlessly aggressive! …I love it!" To her surprise, but not mind-blowingly so, the person who invited her inside was none other than the infamous massacre princess, Euphemia li Britannia.

"…Holy shit, I mean… I just watched your video, but still…" Almost never in her life had Kallen mistrusted her own sense of vision as much as she was in that moment. Now having witnessed the impossibility with her pair of eyes, it became of uttermost folly to believe anything other than the fact that Euphemia was alive.

"You… are you that… that Black Knight I met on the island…?" Strangely, that was the foremost inquiry the resurrected royalty had for her, with an intense glare tacked on, the Knight of Ten noticed.

"Okay? Yes, what about it?"

"That means… you're Japanese…! You're Japanese, right?"

In the shadow of the precarious princess, Suzaku was vehemently shaking his head and crossing his fingers to form an X, presumably for no. Kallen had to actively control herself from laughing at the ridiculousness of his antics were it not for the completely sombre stare he shot her.

For reasons beyond her understanding, Kallen decided to cooperate with the dubious knight at that moment. "No, I'm Britannian."

"But then…? Why were you with the Black Knights? The Black Knights only have Japanese amongst their ranks, except for Lu—"

"Euphie, that's enough. Kallen isn't Japanese." In a commanding tone, Suzaku put a permanent end to Euphemia's curiosity.

"Alright… if you say so, love." Instantly, the suspense in Euphemia's posture vanished and she flashed a playful pout for the Devicer. "Well, don't stand outside then, Kallen! C'mon in!"

"…Thanks." Moving passed the princess, Kallen reminded herself not to let her get away again for calling her first name.

"And I love your earrings, festinating design." Kallen doubled her endurance for the royalty's pretense and kept her scorn to herself.

"Euphie… it really is you, unimaginable."

"Oh, Marry. You learn to get used to it." Once her greeting was done and finished with, it was Marrybell's turn next.

The two siblings hugged warmly, if not somewhat awkwardly caused by Marrybell's lack of proper feedback when her younger sister looped her in tightly.

"Still a little shorty though, huh?"

"Shush, you." Marrybell glowed a dim red. It appeared that her height, or lack thereof had tormented her as one of her few insecurities.

"It's good to see you again, sister."

"Likewise… likewise." Euphemia ushered Marrybell into the room with a mellow pat on the back, their reunion was appreciated without the need for splendour.

With everyone accounted for, the overnight celebrity was about the shut the door. However, one more visitor snuck her way in before the opportunity slipped away. "Hmm… would you like to come in as well, Miss C.C."

"Why, I would. Thank you for asking." Thus, she was allowed entry, even if it wasn't a democratic decision.

"C.C." Even if she was miffed by her arrival, Kallen still acknowledged her rival.

"Kallen, it's been a while."

"It could've been longer."

"I'm so happy it wasn't." Kallen mustered a huff at most for her response. Messing with, or being messed by C.C. wasn't sitting at the top of her priority list.

"And you, princess. That was a good stunt you pulled." Euphemia nodded to accept the recognition she received, although calling it a stunt could be a meager understatement. "Did you actually film the video after you did the… you know?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out what C.C. was alluding to, and any dimwit could spot a flustered Suzaku uncomfortably rattling in the corner from a mile away.

"Yes, we did." Unashamedly, the princess admitted.

"Nice, very nice. Up here." C.C. raised her hand to high-five Suzaku's girlfriend for losing her virginity in the full view of her boyfriend and sibling, not a scrap of hesitation to be found in her deed. "C'mon, you can't leave me hanging, don't be shy."

If that wasn't cringe-worthy enough on its own, watching a disinclined yet morbidly curious Euphemia reach out to clap their palms together sealed the deal. Whether her goal was simply to complicate the already cumbersome scenario or to release the tension from it, Kallen had to confess wincing was a more desirable reaction than fuming.

"Alright, I'mma head out." Apparently clowning on them was her only motivation for dropping by, not that it was welcomed by any means.

"-Stay." Even better, a domineering voice demanded C.C.'s company, Lelouch announced himself to be their last guest as he grimly halted the witch's steps.

"…Ugh." C.C. groaned, but submitted nonetheless.

Without having to look, Kallen could easily deduce the dozens of Royal Guards outside weren't hanging around on their lunch break. The muffled but thunderous footsteps of fully-armed soldiers securing the perimeter eclipsed the noise of her beating heart, and she was seriously thankful for it. Otherwise, it would become another factor goading her to succumb to the pressure of Lelouch's harrowing glare.

_And I thought that time last year on Kamine Island was Lelouch at his angriest._ To be fair, Lelouch wasn't expressing anger per se, although communicating purely via a glower was a difficult chore.

"Is this anyone?" Nobody objected, so Lelouch continued. "Kallen, you can stay if you want. But Marrybell, I need you to leave please."

"You can't-! Why only me, brother?"

"Out. Now." The assertive tone left no room for a debate against the Emperor.

Begrudgingly, Marrybell swallowed down her frustration in a sigh and bowed. "Yes… Your Majesty."

Then she left.

Lelouch mindfully studied everyone remaining on the case of Euphemia's preposterous revival, his vacant glance concealed any emotions he experienced but chose not to express. It suffocated Kallen to be scrutinized so severely, despite knowing she had done no wrong. The two primary suspects of the miraculous incident conveyed zero sense of urgency or panic while the subject herself was only half sincere as she placatingly waited for the monarch's assessment, letting loose a simper from time to time.

"…You did it." When Lelouch finally spoke, it was for Suzaku.

"You knew."

"It's my job to know."

"I have nothing to hide."

A break in the conversation, just long enough to unnerve everyone.

"What can your Geass do?"

"It lets me transfer souls from one plane of existence to another… but there are many limitations." Suzaku ended his statement wavering, giving ground to Lelouch's overwhelming presence. However, he was able to recoup some of the lost courage when Euphemia wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close on the bed they sat on.

…_Did I get cucked? _In the meantime, Kallen was mind-boggled by the fact that Zero's mortal enemy for the majority of his career somehow received a Geass ahead of her.

"Can you bring someone else back?"

"I haven't tried."

"Try it."

"I can't do it here."

They paused again, this time trading unmovable resolves as equals.

"C'mon lads, let's not do this again… this's supposed to be a happy moment, or something similar." Kallen inwardly admitted to herself, stepping in between the most powerful ruler on the planet and arguably the most competent Devicer was more or less somewhat scary, just a little bit- a tiny smidgen.

At his knight's behest, Lelouch lessened his dismayed mien. "It's… not like that. I didn't believe it could be done, I was sure your efforts were in vain, your attempts folly. But now I see I was wrong. You've done something I can never do, Suzaku. You can heal the wounds I carved."

"I'll do everything in my power to mend your mistakes- no, our mistakes. I don't know how far I can go, and I can't undo every drop of blood we spilt, but I'll keep trying, for as long as I live."

"I cannot ask for anymore." When the two former best friends turned bitter nemeses and eventually reluctant collaborators diligently shook hands, Kallen wholeheartedly hoped for the book on their rivalry to be closed at last.

"C.C.," Lelouch gestured for the devilish witch to come forth, his serious manner was a devastating blow to her teasing mood. "If I give you the permission and resources right now, can you rebuild the Geass Order?"

"I can start. Although it won't be easy, mostly thanks to you. I met up with a past contractor of mine, I can work something out if I must."

"Do what you have to, I permit everything within reason. I want you to push the limit of Geass, see what else it can be capable of."

"And what do I get out of it?" Bold of the immortal to demand compensation from a king she depended on for her every need.

"You ever want anything that isn't pizza?" The deep bafflement C.C. found herself in after that question was highly worrying, on many fronts.

"I want to eat pizza… with you."

"…We can make plans toward it." Lelouch said, tolerating defeat. The same defeat Kallen had to weather now that C.C. pulled a fast one over her, even if she was impressed by the sheer pluck of the undying witch.

"It's a deal." That marked the end of another issue, leaving one to go.

The lone elephant left in the room, so daunting and fraught that Lelouch instinctively avoided casting his gaze her way. On the other hand, Euphemia was no more thrilled to confront her brother over their past as she too avoided direct eye-contact, only occasionally stroking Suzaku's hair while using his broad shoulders as a shield.

Ultimately, when the lack of dialogue drove their atmosphere to an intolerable degree of discomfort, Lelouch grabbed a seat beside his ex-deceased sibling's bed, ready to break down a barrier he wasn't sure he could see over.

"Euphie…" In a shaken voice, Lelouch said.

And no reply came, not from the young princess, at least. "…Euphie, I can't help you with this. It's your decision to make." Suzaku warmly declared, removing the cuddle she held over him and stepped onto the sidelines.

"…Should I… still love you as my brother, Lelouch?" After quite some time, Euphemia found her courage to tackle the insurmountable obstacle named regret in her new existence.

"It's your choice, I can't force you to do anything."

"…Not anymore, you mean." Examining the moping expression on Lelouch, he was about as despondent as everyone else was for walking into that one.

"Euphie… I…"

"What you did to me… what you made me do… the blood of the innocent on my hands, their lives stolen by my words, cannot be undone. It's a cross I will have to bear." The massacre princess claimed coldly, living up to her nickname in the most ironic manner possible.

"No- no, it's not like that! You shouldn't carry that weight! It was I who made that order!" It looked like decades since Lelouch last fretted this badly, and it wasn't any less saddening to witness.

"Do you expect me to shift the guilt entirely unto you and remain blissfully inept? To pretend that I am still the pure and juvenile child fit for your schemes!?" Euphemia's cry was ripe with a multitude of emotions, most too foreign for Kallen to relate. "Never! It is my name the masses spit out in contempt, not yours! And I won't let you take that from me for your shallow sense of atonement!"

"I… I see." What did Lelouch wish to say but couldn't? Nobody knew.

"Lelouch… as likely as you're to assume so, I do not blame you for what you did. You used me, you have condemned me to this crime, but… you weren't in the wrong to do so. We were oppositions on the board, enemies to overcome. I was foolish to allow myself to be exploited, thus you bested me."

"Euphie- that cannot be further from the case… I never thought of you like another piece." Weaker than before, Lelouch mustered an ineffective retort. Ineffective because his sister was more or less preaching to herself than anything else.

"I do not blame you, Lelouch… no. I resent you. You took everything from me, and by a miracle not of your doing was I able to reignite that resentment. I promise you this, I will hold that resentment within me… until I find my love for you again, brother."

Back during the days when the rebellion was still young, Euphemia was never truly detested by the people any more than the rest of the Britannian royalties, much less so, in fact. The Japanese just thought of her as a figurehead, a spineless princess sheltered by the status she received at birth. In a way, her massacre permanently changed the world's assessment of her in a flash, seeing her as just a crazed tyrant.

Somehow, neither viewpoints were correct. The Euphemia that lived and breathed before them was a force of determination and wit, filled with motivation and persistence.

"I… I accept that declaration from you." Given the situation Lelouch found himself in, he didn't have many choices other than recognition.

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

"Are you pleased with yourself, Euphie?"

"Euphoric." Suzaku could only shake his head.

"Please don't pull stunts like that again."

"Give me a solid reason not to." Euphemia dangled her bare legs off the sofa, swinging them back and forth like she hadn't got a care in the world. Meanwhile, Suzaku was the one bogged down doing the heavy lifting that came with packing up her temporary residence.

"You're being childish, Euphie. I can understand you're upset with Lelouch for what he did, but it isn't right to take your revenge through such methods." Maybe Suzaku was the one treating the killer of his loved one too leniently, or he had grown too jaded to let the cycle of hatred fester.

"Oh? What's that? Are you calling me out? Should I have just shot him like he did to me? Would you've preferred that!?" Evidently, Euphemia didn't take his suggestion too well.

"Is that something you can bear having on your conscience?"

"I haven't tried, Lelouch seems to be doing just fine." Euphemia was riled up, something she seldomly did in her past life.

"He has to face his own demons, we all do. That's why you shouldn't make yours any stronger." Suzaku understood that the sins of his past would one day catch up to him, no matter how far he ran or how sneaky he hid. However, to him, Euphemia was still as pure as the day she was born, even if the soiled girl didn't believe so herself.

"It's not fair, not fair… not fair! All I ever wanted was to do the right thing! I didn't deserve to be put down like a dog in the streets!" In her warranted frustration, Euphie slammed her fists down on the dresser beside her bed. However, instead of a gratifying smash resonating in the air, all she produced was a dull thud.

"I know it may seem that way, that the world is plotting against you, I felt similarly when I lost you… but I was able to have you back, and that's what matters the most to me."

"For all the lip service you pay me, your title is still the Knight of Zero, the Emperor's knight."

"Euphie…" Suzaku had patience like a saint whenever he was in the company of his lover, but that girl really knew how to push his buttons, intentionally or otherwise. "It's a necessity for… a plan we agreed on."

"A plan that you'll never share with me."

"Not yet, one day I will. Although… at the rate things are, our plan might just fall through because of you. And… I'm glad for it, actually. I hope that things can mellow out from here, then we can go back to the way we were."

"Together?" A newfound hope was in her tone, replacing the painful bitterness from before. Her radiant purple eyes were glistening with dreams of a better tomorrow, a tomorrow that Suzaku would gladly share with her.

"Always. Now, would Her Highness please, carry one of her five luggage bags for her move? The smallest one with wheels would suffice."

"Well, if I must depreciate myself, it would be for you."

**Aries Imperial Villa**

"Do you think it carries any special meanings for Lelouch to move me to where his mother used to live?"

"I honestly have no clue." If there was an ironic catharsis in there somewhere, Suzaku couldn't find it.

"Well… the villa isn't too bad, I guess. I can now rot away in a bigger cell, a gilded cage."

"The situation won't be permanent, I promise."

"Right, until you and Lelouch work out how to best swipe me under the rug." Euphie quipped harshly, although at this point Suzaku had grown exhausted at retreading the same old squabbles.

"Can we please talk about something else? Anything else?"

"…Fine, let's speak of something you're interested in." Somehow, that was the request which totally stumped Suzaku.

"…What do you… wanna talk about?"

"Oh… bother…"

As the pair continued struggling to find a discussion that wasn't revolved around Lelouch, a handful of housemaids welcomed them to the estate and took their belongings- mostly Euphie's, off Suzaku's hands. Their behaviour wasn't too out of the ordinary, making it difficult for the knight to guess whether the Emperor gave them the supernatural workaround or not.

"We don't really have that much in common… huh?" Euphemia remarked dejectedly, the smile over her face seemed so artificial in the brink of an eye.

"We can fix that, I hope. We just need to spend more time together."

"How embarrassing… oh well, let's start by you helping me unpack." Cutely, the young princess winked, reminding Suzaku why he went through heaven and hell for her, quite literally.

"I've been doing that a lot lately."

Suzaku was going to continue his joke, but an approaching servant stopped him. "-Excuse me, Your Highness. His Majesty would like for you to have this." Carefully presenting to Euphemia, the maid offered a slick new smartphone for the renounced royalty.

"How about that…" Euphie was moderately surprised, albeit it wasn't characterized outwardly. "Did Lelouch say anything about gifting me this?"

"No, Your Highness, this is it." Her task completed; the maid turned to leave.

"Stop. Let me look at you." However, Euphemia disagreed with the working girl's schedule and made her stand still as she thoroughly scrutinized her. "You're… not Japanese, are you?"

"N-no, Your Highness." A whiff of nervousness slipped out from the girl's mouth. Despite her blonde hair and blue eyes, Euphie wasn't so easily persuaded.

"Alright, dismissed." Eventually, once she had her fill of uncomfortably occupying someone else's personal space, Euphie gave the pass.

"Yes, Your Highness." The housemaid scurried away, leaving behind no trace.

"Euphie, doing okay?" The Knight of Zero wasn't sure which tone to address his princess at that time, so he chose to react casually.

"Yeah… I feel compelled to know, but once it washes over, I'm back to normal."

"I'll make sure your condition won't be permanent as well."

"Thanks, love." Abashedly, Euphie planted a light kiss on Suzaku's cheek and dashed away upstairs before he could fully comprehend what happened.

"So, you still want me to help you unpack… or!?" Suzaku shouted after her, deciding if he should chase after the elusive shadow.

"How embarrassing…"

— —

"Suzaku, I have a formal appeal I wish to make."

"More formal than helping you make your new room?" Euphie's lack of retort demonstrated how serious she was. In fact, she was so serious that the stern expression which Suzaku rarely witnessed when they were alone was on full display.

"What can I do?" Mirroring the gravity Euphemia was emitting, the Japanese pilot paused his arrangement of the flowers by the balcony and sat down beside her.

"Suzaku, take me to Japan, to Kyoto."

"What? Why?" There were so many thoughts running across his mind the second Euphemia dropped her bombshell of a request on him, but the lit screen of her new phone was what stopped him from putting his concern into words.

"An email? From whom?"

"Nunnally. It was sent to my private account. I trust it to be genuine." Piece by piece, things were starting to click.

"She… asked to see you? In Kyoto?"

"It's the UFN's new capital, after Tokyo got…" Euphemia didn't finish, the grimace on Suzaku's face must have stopped her.

"What's she doing there?" The Devicer didn't dwell too long on it, believing it not to be the time.

"She didn't clarify, she says that she's the one responsible for the turmoil in Europe? Whatever that means." Startlingly, Suzaku didn't find himself absolutely floored speechless. After all, it was Lelouch's sister they were talking about.

"Recently, the UFN acquired Germany and France, it's making a sizeable uproar around the globe. We suspected that it was Schneizel's hands at work behind the senses… but this- well, I suppose it's still him, he's just using Nunnally." The last bit of Suzaku's prediction he wasn't so assured of. "Or I hope not."

"Is that what she's up to now? Admirable, if my brother isn't just using her, of course."

"I can only pray for that to not be the case. Lelouch believes for her to be an adult now, capable of making her own decisions and I'm inclined to agree."

"Her mail does sound awfully mature. It reads like a professional letter, says that she wants us to meet face to face, see eye to eye. Curious phrasing…"

"I guess that means a video call won't do." Euphemia knowingly nodded, she was the one seeking Suzaku's consent for her trip in any case.

"Nunnally… I haven't seen her since… the school festival at Ashford."

"It was simpler times back then." Strangely, Euphie giggled merrily, breaking their downbeat ambience. "What is it?"

"…No, I just remembered that when we last spoke at her school, we were also reminiscing the simpler times of our childhood."

"The world moves forward, and so do we. We look back to the past for inspiration and motivation, but we can never go back…"

"You know, that'd sound a lot more convincing coming from anyone that isn't you." Suzaku shot her a look that asked for an explanation, but Euphemia simply pointed at herself.

"I… you're my inspiration and motivation, Euphie." The princess smiled again, nostalgically.

"Very smooth, love."

"I try. Sometimes need to try harder though." Suzaku attempted to hide his blush, almost mystified that he still could.

"I've yet to thank you for bringing me back, Suzaku. I believe it is long overdue." Politely, yet still carrying her dignity as a child of the imperial blood, Euphemia rose and presented herself elegantly before him.

"I, Britannia's third princess, Euphemia li Britannia, hereby solemnly swear to you. Kururugi Suzaku, that from hereon forth, my life- this life you've given me is yours to wield as you see fit. That I shall forever be with you, be of assistance to you, be made of devotion and love for you. I ask you not to do the same for me, as I already know what length you have gone to save me."

As Suzaku froze mutely hearing the decree of loyalty and affection Euphie held for him, his mind raced at a speed he never imagined possible. In the brief moments that was her confession, their roles as protector and lord were reversed. Whether his position as a Knight of Rounds was elevated or hers as a disgraced princess was demoted, their standings were equivalent for the first time since they have known each other.

Euphemia saw him as her partner, she actively sought after it.

"Euphie-! I-!" Quickly, the pink-haired teen leaned over and placed her index finger over his mouth.

"Shhh… you have a knack for ruining special moments, Suzaku. Please… don't." And he didn't, not that he could voice his complaint when Euphemia connected their lips. Twice in one day, she took him by surprise, and twice he wasn't the least bit sour about it.

"Suzaku… I will never leave you again, I will live forever if I have to."

"That… would be nice."

"And I definitely won't grow old and grumpy like a certain someone with green hair."

"That… would be nicer."

For a while after that, the two of them merely sat beside one another leaning against each other, totally in peace and fulfilment.

"So… about that trip I wanted."

"Why do I feel like I'm being emotionally manipulated?" His concern was aborted when Euphie slung her weight and pushed him down yet again, although it didn't dispel it entirely.

— —

**Author's note**

I remember someone calling me out a long time ago for including Euphemia as cheat drama and that she'll just screw things up more. Dude, you caught me, man. You totally killed me, guess I'll just delete this whole story now.

But seriously, I feel having Euphemia stir up some stuff is going to be predictable no matter what. I'm trying to write a real and serious story here (mostly), and that means there're some unavoidable tropes I have to use. Like the 'characters misunderstand each other and cause drama' kinda trope. Although that hasn't happened yet? Not too sure.

This being a Euphemia-centered chapter, I hope that her chemistry with Suzaku isn't too out of whack. I want to think regardless of what she says, she's still happy and proud of Suzaku for making it to the Rounds. And even though he killed like thirty million people (How does the math work? Tokyo has a population of ten million IRL, and you'd think most of them are evacuated before the battle. Even if that isn't true, can the two militaries make up another twenty million people? This's like the CoD 4 nuke scene except way out of proportion, in my opinion.), she's the only one who really understands how he feels having done that and can see pass it.

So I guess what I'm saying here is I enjoy their ship and want to write it in a likeable manner.

I'm really grateful for everyone that's been supporting me, my upload has slowed down, but I'm doing my best to keep it constant. Obviously receiving reviews, favourites and follows motivates me, but just seeing the view court climb up makes me pretty happy. So if you enjoyed this video, leave a like. If you didn't, too bad there's no dislike. I'm totally down to have a dislike button though, lets me know which stories are truly good.

Reply to some reviews real fast.

Replying to Islamy talking about the hashtag MassacrePrincess: Sorry man, not sure if you're joking or not with what you said. The logic here is the public bringing back an old hashtag that trended when the SAZ thing happened, using it again since she made another appearance. Although it doesn't matter too much in the long run, just a way for Euphemia to return to the world.

Replying to KingofHeartless'09 talking about the anime reference: Bro no, that's supposed to be Berserk. Get it? It's funny because Suzaku has the same VA as Griffith, now please laugh.

Replying to Darksenin talking about racers and pit babe? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, sorry. If it's in regards to the model car Lelouch passed her it'll come back to be relearnt soon.

Replying to Marche V talking about Euphemia's reveal and Zero requiem: Lelouch and Suzaku do not have a super plan to just kick into Requiem mode. They both enjoy the slice of life portions of their days and are just having a good time wherever they can. Also, thanks for the chapter title inspiration.

Replying to Divide by Zero talking about Euphemia's Geassed state in depth:

Thanks for leaving your review. Now, my opinion on memories is that the brain is altered under the effect of Geass, that's why people forget what happened once it wears off, since Euphemia died while the Geass was still active, her altered mindset never reverts back even after being revived. So even if a Geass canceller is used on her, it won't change anything since the Geass itself is gone, but her brain is still altered. That's why she isn't constantly trying to kill Suzaku since it's effect has lessened because the year that passed and the imperfect reconstruction of her brain.

In this chapter, when Euphemia said Lelouch promised to work together on the SAZ and give up his plan before Geassing her, that was referring to their conversation in the G-1. So yes, Euphemia more or less remembers everything. That's all I can say for now without getting into spoilers, but I promise I have her character mostly planned out. You just have to trust me on it. I also want to point out that since the scene with her takes place from Suzaku's PoV, the narration is just his interpretation on her thoughts, whether Euphemia really hates Lelouch or not is up to future chapters, it'll be a pretty sizable plot point though.

That's all I got.

Is AC/DC the ultimate boomer-core band?


	16. Jebaited

**Jebaited**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Imperial Palace**

**A few days after Euphemia returned**

How did those mundane, monotonous, insipid and lifeless nobles endure coming to the king's court every day, listening to some boring doublespeak nonsense from their peers whom they detested, all just for a chance of gaining the Emperor's favour was wholly beyond Kallen. Since she was already bored out of her mind just having to tolerate the remnants of that bygone culture.

_God… governments fucking suck, we really should give that anarchy thing a try._ Kallen humoured herself through her wildest imagination, the stiffness growing in her legs didn't do much to take her roaming thoughts off the terrible predicament she found herself in as Lelouch's dependable aid.

"You look… unseated."

Ultimately, when Lelouch discovered his underlying mercy and dissolved his court for the day, he whispered to his knight, gleaming a sly grin. Kallen was almost impressed by his hubris to mock her for her service, himself slouching all comfy and the like in his throne while the lowly Round had to stand at attention.

"I want a divorce."

"Don't we kinda have to be married to get one of those?"

"I want a premarital divorce."

"So are we ex-husband and wife right now or does our first marriage not count?"

"We should give it a try, see which one happens." Kallen slid off her white mask and leaned in close, one hand balanced over the ridge of Lelouch's throne, the other invaded the precious little amount of armrest he had.

"That could prove to be… inconvenient. I do not desire rumours to spread."

"Should've thought about that when C.C. was shoving her ass in your face." Bending down slightly closer, the Knight of Ten raised one leg above the armrest and swung her body over Lelouch's laps.

"Takes one to know one." Kallen was basically straddling the monarch now, her ample bosom flooding his sightline and her sultry breath tracing the shape of his shaved jaw.

"Luckily, you know these ones so well." Cleverly, the flirting knight redirected the trapped emperor's attention to her most attractive feature, concealed only by layers of fabric she was loosening at that very second.

"Kallen… we're still in court, my court." In retrospective, perhaps she was way too bold in her approach of seduction, Lelouch was beginning to eye nervously behind him for signs of stragglers who didn't evict his palace when ordered.

"And isn't it the duty of the king to relieve their subjects'…—" Kallen stole a passionate kiss from under Lelouch's nose, one that he didn't expect. "…appetite?"

Their smooch continued, her lover finally found his senses to respond to her fervent offense. The taste of his lips was a teeny bit off its normal flavour, but that anomaly quickly faded away.

"You're not even trying to make sense now."

"Hmm~ I gotten this far, haven't I?" The heat in Kallen's body told her she had waited long enough, an airtight assertion. In spite of the compromising position and location they were in, she didn't pussyfoot around her choice to disrobe. "Whoever enters this room now… will face a tragic accident."

"Kallen, my dear… I do have my stature to consider, I must ask you to not be so engaged for the moment." When Lelouch firmly rejected her advances and pushed her half-clothed body off him, Kallen felt a surge of disappointment and irritation.

"C'mon! what more do I have to do to get you going!? Don't be such a wet blanket!"

"I understand your needs to… indulge, but won't you agree that's all you've been doing these days?"

"That's not true! I-I…" Suddenly, her stimulating daily life slipped away from her. "I… went… fishing… yesterday!"

"In Ultimate Fishing Simulator, where you fell asleep with your phone on your face." Busted.

"Fine! You caught me! I'm like- ultra bored, okay!? I just stand around you doing nothing every day! I'm so freaking bored it's unreal! I have had one good fight once you've become the Emperor and then nothing else. That kinda stuff ain't healthy for a girl like me!"

Kallen proceeded to rant her heart out, all her dissatisfaction and grievance acclimated over the months was bound to burst. Being torn away from her magnificent Knightmare was putting a dent in her tolerance for fun already, not having sortied ever since the anti-climatic battle against the old Knights of Round didn't alleviate her dreariness.

"Kallen, do you relish war?" Lelouch asked.

"Oh no, don't you try to spin this to a 'lmao she loves killing people' thing! I like combat, challenges, excitement! And I'm getting none of that here!"

"…Your woe has been heard, milady. I'll work something out… hopefully."

"But I want some fun right now!"

Lelouch sighed begrudgingly, wrinkles on his brow more apparent. "Come to my room tonight… and I'll be of assistance to your plight."

"Good doing business with you." A reluctant consensus later, Kallen donned her uniform and dismounted the Emperor. "I'm going to hang with Marrybell, we've been playing this flying game a lot recently, she's really into it."

"You're rather fond of my sister."

"I just really vibe with her, you feel? That and she's always loaded with foodies."

"Glad to know you're partaking in something that isn't my- …partaking in something that is edible." Lelouch was this close to getting a black eye. "Sadly, she isn't available for the moment, you must find some other forms of entertainment."

"Alright… whatever, see you in a bit, dummy." Her Rounds cloak cozily wrapping around her shoulders, Kallen departed.

— —

Kallen meandered around the palace for roughly a quarter of an hour, seeking amusement and occasions but only finding dullness. Giving up on her futile stroll, she opted to return to court once more after seeing the exact same decorations on every wall she passed bore a hole in her skull.

Back in the throne room, there was the Emperor's seat, but on that seat sat nobody. Lelouch wasn't there.

Intrigued, Kallen scanned around the vast chamber and no tracks of her beloved tactician were left behind. She hurried to the backstage hallways behind the podium scarcely patrolled by the Royal Guards, still no signs. Fearing something terrible afoot regardless of the unlikeness of such an incident happening, she heightened her senses and searched.

It didn't take too long to notice something out of place, or in her case, hearing something. Behind the doors to the dressing room, the sound of raggedy gasps could be perceived at a time when nobody should be present.

Kallen brashly intruded, prepared to deal with whatever potential threat laid ahead. "Hey, wassup! We doing some… stuff…"

Two pairs of eyes glanced up in panic. One was Lelouch, the other was Jeremiah.

After the split second it took her confused brain to register their action, her mind shattered into a million pieces like a chandelier being dropped from a spaceship.

Kallen's eyes bulged to an extent she didn't think was humanly possible, if she was still capable of cogent thought after seeing what she just saw. Her mouth was hanging open, wider than any baby when they hear an airplane is heading their way on a spoon.

Lelouch looked fine, Jeremiah looked fine as well. It was that they were doing that wasn't fine at all, not in the tiniest bit.

"-Argha…. AGRHAA—!" Kallen screamed at the top of her lungs, for witnessing Lelouch and Jeremiah kiss.

"-Wait, no! Miss Kallen! It isn't as it seems!" Lelouch sounded like he was saying something in a distinctively feminine voice, but that was too easily washed out by Kallen's horrifying screech.

"AHHGAAAAAA—! AGRA- AHHHHHH—!" Kallen was clutching her head painfully, despair seeped through every bone in her body. Her next course of action had no scrutiny put into it whatsoever, but that didn't stop her from drawing her sidearm. "WHAT!? What the-! Fucking what-!? WHAT THE FUCK! W-w-w-why!? Fucking WHY!?"

"Miss Kallen! Please calm down, please! It's me! Sayoko!" Lelouch said something again, something incoherent to the frenzying Kallen who couldn't decide if she should shoot him or herself. Then he peeled off his face and finally her logical operation was starting to reboot.

"Sayoko-! Sayoko!? But I just-! We just-! You- you bitch! YOU STUPID BITCH! Why'd you do something so-! FUCK! So fucking RETARDED!"

"I am so, so, so sorry Miss Kallen! Please, lower your weapon!" An unhinged Kallen was as likely to discard her pistol as she was to discharge it, although the redhead didn't consider that a problem.

"Fucking SHIT! You- you shitty maid! Why would you-!? That was you the whole time!? I was FUCKING seducing you and you just sat there like a dumb brick and didn't fucking tell me!?"

"I-I… I was tasked to play the role! Master Lelouch's orders!" Sayoko's excuse was rather flimsy at best, and it couldn't convince Kallen to lower her gun.

"And Jeremiah! What the FUCK!? Dude- DUDE!? I know it's fucking current year and shit- but you didn't think it'll be fucking weird to make out with a guy!?"

"I bear no discrimination against anyone with alternative preference nor do I despise it, therefore if His Majesty asks for me, I shall not decline." How the Orange man was so collected and calm as those words exited his mouth, Kallen would never know.

"Fucking… fuck! FUCK! FUUUU-CK!" When Marrybell said anyone could suffer a mental breakdown, Kallen didn't take her seriously then; she did now.

"-Excuse me, My Lord! We heard screaming!"

"-Get the FUCK-! …Outta MY FACE!" Kallen popped off a few shots into the ceiling, assuring the Royal Guards that stopped by of her sanity and hushed them away.

"God… oh my god- I need to… I need a break…" Letting go of her anger through some bullets did the trick.

"Miss Kallen, please, have a seat." Sayoko gently guided Kallen to somewhere she could lie down, careful not to overstep her boundaries after the whole fiasco.

"Why? I'm not even mad- no, I'm super mad, but first, why?"

"I… wished to know if kissing through this mask is different than kissing normally, so I can better enact my part next time something similar takes place."

"Bu-but we just- you just-! We kissed- oh god! I can't believe I just admit that happened! Fuck! But we kissed! Is that not enough!?" That explained the strange taste of Lelouch from earlier, Kallen's last scraps of sanity told her.

"It was a fleeting moment, and I was too taken back to properly remember the sensation."

"Ohhhhh- my god… how many times were you Lelouch before this!?"

"Three times, this is our first." A saving grace, hard to find amidst their sea of embarrassment.

"And the whole time, you said absolutely nothing. I shove my tits in your face and you're stone-cold, cool as ice, namaste, no reactions at all."

"I act."

"Oh-my-god, shut the fuck up. You- you're fired, you know that? You're so fired."

"I must apologize, but you cannot dismiss me, only Master Lelouch can."

"That whole time I was doing… doing the stuff to you, like some retarded lesbian hooker."

"I believe it was quite captivating, Master Lelouch would find it irresistible, for sure."

"Too bad he won't get to enjoy it, since I'm gonna kill his dumbass right now." Kallen leaped out of the couch, her newfound purpose blazing in her heart.

"I cannot recommend that, Miss Kallen."

"And I can't recommend making out with a guy using his face! But we don't always get what we want!" Respectfully, Sayoko moved aside. "Now tell me where he is or I'll give you something else to… to kiss! Or whatever!" Kallen had to admit, that threat wasn't too well constructed.

"Regretfully, I do not know Master Lelouch's whereabouts. I was ordered to take his place for the duration of today, that is my order."

"Awesome, awesome… thanks for nothing, shitty maid!" There was only so much fury she could bottle up inside, and taking some of it out on Lelouch's Japanese ninja was more than called for under her circumstances.

"-Oh, and Orange… are you two… you know?" The Knight of Ten gestured towards him and the ninja-maid, Jeremiah nodded once.

"Alright… nice. Never pull that sort of shit again, I swear to god, I'll gut you like a beached fish… but, nice."

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, Underground**

"C'mon here, let me take a look at you. You need to make sure you're presentable, Marry."

"Yes, yes. I can take care of myself, Oz." Slender fingers caressed Marrybell's forehead, rigorously treating wild strands of her hair with caution as they brushed them neatly to one side. "No need to be such a nanny."

"Mock me if you want, but it's important to set your mental state before confronting the Emperor. It's not something you can afford to mess up." Under the dim lighting of the underground cavern Marrybell didn't know existed until that very day, her dedicated knight cupped her flushed cheeks intently and held her in place.

"I know, Orpheus… I know." In a low murmur, Marrybell acknowledged. "I'm no Twilight character, I can feel things… and right now, it's feeling pretty scary up here." She lightly tapped her scrap, applying a bit of humour to soothe their mood.

"You… you don't have to go through with this, Marrybell. If you really are not up for it, we can keep going with the way things are. We can keep being ourselves and live our lives."

"Oz… that won't work on me anymore. I'm in too far to back out, we all are. I won't give up this opportunity, not when the Knight of Zero is off their roster." Even now, Marrybell could tell some parts of Orpheus still refused to accept the detrimental truth. "Besides, can you really live with yourself, knowing that a monster like me continues to exist?"

Dozens of seconds passed in unpleasant anticipation, Marrybell's captain couldn't disperse the gloomy tranquillity in the air.

"I would've told you no a year ago… but now…"

"So you're faltering too, Orpheus." What Marrybell said carried no fragments of ridicule whatsoever.

"When I saw you so determined to gouge your own eye… I-I couldn't take it, I was going to stop you, I really believed that."

"Well… my eyes are one of my most appealing features." The treasured princess cutely winked, earning a peal of muffled laughter from her talented Devicer. "And thanks, for caring so much, Orpheus."

"Don't finish this journey, Marrybell. Don't let yourself die bearing so much hatred."

"I came into this world not of my will, I shall not depart it the same way." Marrybell swore to herself ever since her false memories vanished, to carve out and leave behind her own legacy, not one of somebody else's design.

"What about the Glinda Knights? What about us? Oldrin? Despite all she says and acts, despite all the awful deeds you've done to her, she still loves you, not a sliver less."

"My knights… will grieve, but billions will rejoice. You and Oldrin will cry, but the world will smile again. Is that not a worthy sacrifice?"

"…Not to me!" A powerful force pulled Marrybell into Orpheus's embrace, a force that surprised her but she didn't feel compelled to resist. "It's not worth it… world peace isn't worth your life, Marry!"

"Oh… my dear Orpheus… won't you show them to me, your brilliant eyes?" Deliberately slow to react, the young pilot was lacking the resolve to remove his visor from where it hung. He understood that it remained as his last line of defense, and without it, he would become vulnerable to Marrybell's Geass, but more importantly, her charisma.

When Marrybell saw the twin Geass flaring dazzlingly in his eyes, it evoked the memories of her unswerving knight's dashing looks to the forefront of her mind, she remembered her fascination towards the young man never diminished ever since he first opposed her as a terrorist, until now where he stood as her loyal protector.

"Bet you didn't think this would be where we are when you first enlisted to join me." Marrybell pushed her advantage and teased.

"I… had other ideas in mind, I'll admit."

"Oh, Oz… you big dunce, how were you ever going to assassinate me if you fall in love with me?" Her keen observation scored a critical hit on the flustered teen, leading him to fumble his ill-considered retort.

"I-I it isn't like that—!" Before Orpheus could shut off the sensual functions of his beating heart, Marrybell seized her victory by landing a soft peck on his lips.

"You won't tell Oldrin about that now, would you? Or do, I can't stop you." She swiftly slipped out of his arms and darted over to the ancient gateway, the Thought Elevator.

"Marrybell… bu-but you and- and Oldrin are…!"

"You two are siblings, I'm sure you can work it out." Whatever Orpheus tried to say next, it was routed by the white noises of her soul and body transferring to another dimension.

— —

"Do you enjoy sunsets, Marrybell?"

"They have their charm. Although I must comment, most sunsets I've seen are… complete." Complete was not the appropriate word to describe the paranormal vista in her sight.

Like viewing a slideshow on a cracked computer screen, shards of their background were the pitch-perfect illustration of a vesper but the rest was of a barren space littered by spinning gears and metallic scraps. Between the splitting sky painted on a splintered veil and the vast emptiness it concealed, Marrybell could barely spot the unique outline of a planet in their galaxy, Jupiter.

"It is a work in progress, and not the easiest at that. I suppose it's like gluing together broken glass, which was what you tried to do that time you broke my mother's ceramic vase."

"Wow, low-blow, brother." Facing away from her, Lelouch chuckled, but was unable to conceal the entirety of his sadness.

"Do you hate our father, Marrybell?"

"I never stopped."

"He had a habit of showing only the most important individuals in this place and having covert conversations."

"Logical assessment is not a character trait." Marrybell caught onto Lelouch's implication promptly, reassuring him of his sovereignty from their parent.

"Confident as you may be, I fear him and I are not so different."

"He would never have made the changes to Britannia as you did, not him who crushed those ill of fortune underfoot."

"How do you know this isn't a ruse of mine?" If Marrybell was planning on blowing the lid off Lelouch's darkest secret, that was undoubtedly his invitation, especially considering that Lelouch most likely already knew ahead of time what dwelled on her mind.

"I saw your compassion, your brutality, your tactics, your persona. Petty tricks are beneath someone that used to bear the mantle of Zero." The title of Lelouch's alter ego made him flinch, unexpectedly so. He was so close to stepping away from the temple's edge and seeing Marrybell face to face. "Don't turn around, brother! I might not stand here as your equal, but I will be defiant in the presence of unjust authority!"

That stopped Lelouch's momentum, maybe temporary, maybe not. "Do you believe your Geass to be faster, Marrybell?"

"That is a gamble I shall not participate in. I wish for neither of us to rue this meeting." Partially the reason Marrybell gave was accurate, partially it was because she didn't want to expose the uncontrollable trembling in her legs.

"Very well, we will speak as is. Now tell me, where did you learn of it?"

"I was nudged to this deduction thanks to mentions of Euphemia and her tragedy. The puzzle snaps together if we assume it was Zero that made her commit her crimes utilizing a Geass, your Geass would do. That and Kallen being here plainly gives it away."

"I did give her a mask." The Emperor sighed, humoured by his sister's eureka.

"I'm good at cracking those."

Briefly, their exchange went silent. "Did you ask for a meeting to confront me today, Marrybell?"

"Somewhat, but I think I can understand why you chose the path you took. I'm certain I would've done the same thing in your place."

"Says the leader of our largest anti-terrorism task force in Europe?"

"I am a hypocrite, born of our father's blood." The foolish Marrybell of the past would never forgive or forget Zero's evil, but the Marrybell existing in the present was no longer a child seeing the world through her tainted lens of black and white.

"I'm glad you can understand, Marrybell. I took up the role of Zero for two main purposes, to bring down the Britannia under our father's rule and to solve the mystery behind my mother's murder. With both tasks completed, I deem that chapter of my life closed."

"Closed and buried, I hope. Although if this is publicized, I can guarantee your scandal would be one for the books." Lelouch produced a noise halfway between a wheeze and a chortle, maybe what Marrybell said struck too close to home as a jest.

"It is so, otherwise scandals will be the least of my worries."

"Didn't part with your men on good terms?"

"They were not so content when they found out the leader was another Britannia prince." As rebels often tend to be, not fond of royalties.

"Will they be a problem?"

"When is anything not a problem?" More overtly, Lelouch chuckled for sure. "With that said, the Black Knights have become bigger than I envisioned, they're not headless without me. Someone in there knows what harm divulging my previous identity will do to their reputation, hence the fraudulent declaration of Zero's death."

"You're still fond of them?"

"The past is hard to let go sometimes." That was a good segue for Marrybell to latch onto.

"We all have our pasts, brother. I still cling onto mine with every fibre, even if they hinder me more than assist. I must ask you something, not you as the Emperor or Zero, but just Lelouch." Marrybell inhaled sharply, filling her heart with conviction. "When you killed Clovis… was it hard on you?"

Without a proper view to Lelouch's front, Marrybell couldn't judge what expressions haunted him as she yanked the chains off the lock that contained his most notorious undertaking.

"Clovis deserved what was delivered to him, but it shouldn't have been me who delivered it. I believed myself to be the lesser evil then, and I was… I was, just not to everybody." The monarch delayed his next line, likely searching for the appropriate words. "I am no better than him, the two of us both are strained with the blood of the innocent."

"What about Euphemia?" Brazenly, Marrybell let a bit of her impulse get to her.

"Not the same. Euphie was a mistake on my part, a causality of war. None of the cards that was dished out to her was warranted, and her death would've forever tormented me- well, it still does, just not in the same way." When he reached the last sentence, Lelouch sounded like a slight burden was lifted off his shoulders.

"Will you tell me how she came back?" That was stretching her brother's goodwill, Marrybell knew clearly. Still, she had to give it a try.

"I cannot, for I do not know the details myself. If it means anything, I can tell you that she was once dead, without a doubt." Marrybell noted the curious factor behind the pink fluffy girl's revival and spoke nothing more, the reality that death could and had been undone still sounded like a concept too ridiculous.

"Lelouch, I cannot in good conscience allege that I esteem your deeds or condone your actions, nor will I attempt to learn from your mistakes that I too have made. But to me, you're an Emperor I can accept. Maybe not the one Britannia needs, but the one she deserves." When Marrybell endorsed her brother, she was heartfelt.

"Thank you, sister. I am honoured to have you supporting my rule. I aspire to never again spill blood that resembles mine." It was in a tender tone that the Emperor sought for his long-distance sibling's encouragement, prising abandoned memories of Marrybell's childhood to the surface.

_Lelouch… you've always been good to me, I'm sorry._

"That is the second reason I asked for your audience today, Your Majesty. I want to propose a plan to take down Schneizel and Cornelia." That was her objective, rather paradoxical to what Lelouch preached only a minute ago.

"I have many questions, but I shall allow you to explain yourself."

"I know our brother, as much as anyone out there knows him. It'll be foolhardy to believe he's been twiddling his thumbs just because Damocles is put in check, we should not give him the time to plot and instead strike when he's on the backfoot. We can strategically and decisively knock them out, hopefully while they're still in disarray over Euphie's commotion."

Originally, Marrybell aimed to stir her pot of schemes a bit longer, until she could brew it to perfection. However, Euphemia's revitalization really threw a couple of wenches into her agenda, making it impossible for her to predict what the future held in store for a majority of her important siblings. Fortunately, she assumed the rest of them were all in the same boat, muddled and disorganized.

"What do you recommend?"

"I've kept in touch with Schneizel infrequently, telling him that I'm still uncomfortable with usurping you when you've done no wrong. I can use Euphie as an excuse, forge a story that she was never dead but kept in solitary by our father and now you're deeply upset with her for returning." Marrybell stopped to give her fiction a bit of thought. "Really though, any premise can work."

"Continue."

"I'll tell him that I Geassed you in a heated moment of debate, where I had no next step prepared and had to run from your inner circle. So I took you aboard my airship and escaped to him, reluctantly doing as he ordered. Once we are face to face with them, it'll be over."

"Schneizel will never leave himself vulnerable to Geass, he'll never meet us unguarded. Furthermore, nothing stops him from blowing us out of the sky with his F.L.E.I.J.A., he simply needs me dead, not necessarily dethroned." Lelouch summarily rejected Marrybell's strategy, poking it full of holes. While frustrating, the underlying message that Marrybell was still not in their league was obvious.

"Well, we can… we can still bring a sizable force with us, seize him through brute force. And I can threaten him with a warhead of our own, deter him from firing."

"Marrybell, what you're advocating for could lead to war. Schneizel is backed by the UFN, if we attack him outright…" Lelouch left the worst-case scenario unsaid.

"Brother, we cannot remain idle forever! Peace and prosperity only come to those who strive for it! I don't want to see your downfall on the horizon aided by your optimism and my indolence!" Feverish was her pursuit of harmony for the world, persistence to succeed lit every step on her perilous path.

For some time after she made her intentions known, Lelouch remained wordless as he kept his figure steady and his eyes unviewable to Marrybell. It wasn't meant to be a painless compromise she thrust onto him, nothing should be straightforward and basic for the Emperor ruling over an empire.

"When I was young, I played chess against Schneizel many times, never once was I able to defeat him. In truth, I hated chess. It's so rigid, so balanced, so fair. The only influence on the outcome was intelligence, something that I couldn't compete against." Marrybell began a story she rarely shared, one that she prayed could reach Lelouch.

"However, out here on the world stage, there're no rules, no limitations. We're only regulated by our morality, our humanity. I understand that if I must, I shall abandon all for the sake of the world, I have done so before. But with you, we can tip the scales- no, own the scales in our favour. I believe in us, Lelouch. You're the only one I can come to."

The king kept his tongue tied, Marrybell only hoped his ears were open.

"Together, we can make Schneizel lose, something I cannot do alone. And if we're strong enough, we can win with the minimum casualty on both sides. Then the world will be at peace, and you can be its protector."

That was every trick Marrybell had in her book, every technique she ever learned to convince. If even after all that, she still couldn't persuade Lelouch to take up arms in a fight for the fate of the world, then she would be no better than the dog she used to be, kept on a short leash barking at the symptoms of humanity's illness under the illusion of justice.

"…Your plan needs adjustments, but not a renovation. Three days to make the preparations, is that enough?" Marrybell smiled.

"Plenty, Your Majesty."

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Imperial Capital Pendragon, airship hangar**

**A week after Euphemia returned**

"Con~ gratu~ lations! We get to work together once again, Sir Kururugi!"

"Yes." Honestly, Suzaku didn't know what drove him to go along with the erratic scientist's usual antics.

"How very fortunate that we were able to test out the Lancelot's remote system last time! I do anticipate an equalling productive opportunity this trip as well!"

"…Yes." The snappier he was, the more of Lloyd's prattle would get caught by his nonsense filters.

"And I must say how exclusively riveting it is to see Princess Euphemia again! She has taught me just how much of this world is still imbued with mysteries science cannot explain, won't you agree, Sir Kururugi?"

"Of course…" Suzaku said, copying the functions of an answering machine down pat.

"My word, even being ignored by you is a first for me! How delightful is it!" Lloyd's sharp observation broke the Round out of his daze.

"What? No never—"

"-Finally realized, hmm? Had to take a deep dive into your psyche to find that self-awareness, hmm… Earl Asplund?" Spiteful was the initial impression, but Suzaku soon banished such an adjective as a description of Euphemia's attitude. She was only being flippant in her jab towards Lloyd, nothing hurtful behind her tetchy mood.

Euphie approached the boarding ramp of the Avalon where the whimsical scientist and the stolid pilot occupied, the casual attire that was her low-hanging sweater and tight jeans under an overcoat with fur trims detracted a portion of her nobility but quadrupled her modernist style. She added some suggestive wiggle of her hips as she closed in, sending Suzaku into a shy turmoil when he noticed there was nowhere safe to land his gaze.

"Ohhhh~! To have Her Highness abuse me like so! Truly fascinating, what a drastic change to your personality it is!"

"I'll show you some of me that you wouldn't want to see if you don't start scramming back to your station, Lloyd." Euphie sniggered smugly, shooing the Knightmare developer away.

"An acceptable offer! I shall be on my way." And Lloyd disappeared into the belly of the airship, maybe never to be seen again.

"Euphie…" Sighing the name of his princess had grown to be a habit in the recent days for Suzaku, possibly because his methods of addressing her etiquette was relatively pitiful compared to her sass.

"Excited to be away from this boring place, love?" She stole a kiss on his nose, faster than he could react. "I sure am."

"You don't have to try so hard to convince yourself that you're different." Suzaku brushed aside her playful question, opting to lecture her instead.

"Oh- geez, Suzaku, please, let's not do this whole song and dance again. It's not that funny anymore."

"I've always been serious."

"Just-! Enough! Okay? Enough! Let me go through my rebellious phase without being babied by you! I swear even Cornelia didn't get this touchy!"

A part of him wanted to press forward, to rid Euphemia of her new identity that Suzaku didn't rightly approve of. However, he soon recognized that was the influence of his arrogance, treating her as something less than what she was, moulding her to be just a little bit more alike the Euphemia he used to know.

"…You're right, I'm overstepping." Suzaku sheepishly apologized, averting his glance.

"Well… don't beat yourself up over it. Seeing you being depressed isn't gonna paint my day bright." Euphie cheerfully remarked, she was always the proficient one at controlling her emotions. "It ended up being harder than I expected, being back in a world which welcomes me none … but there's nothing we can't do together."

"Right, Your Highness…" Finally, a proof of happiness from his precious princess, a giggle.

"Oh… Suzaku, how I love you so…" Euphie reached an arm out to her knight with unknown intent behind it, but the motion was suspended when her sight locked in on something else behind him. "Albeit not enough to express it in front of my brother…"

True to her declaration, Suzaku turned around and saw Lelouch approaching flanked by Royal Guards on both sides, fortunately not at a pace that indicated tension. "I don't blame you."

"Then don't blame me for so suddenly disappearing, can you believe I'm gone already?" Faster than the wind, Euphie dashed away at a velocity that could put the Lancelot's top speed to shame.

"Huh… I thought I was more popular than this."

"You would be if you didn't have trouble reeling in an ego that large."

"Wasn't my lack of physical capability a positive attribute of my character? It makes me more relatable to the everyman."

"Don't know about physical or positive, but to be objectively incorrect is an attribute of yours." To start their conversation with a friendly banter instead of bitter provocation, that was an exotic milestone worthy of celebration.

"How is Euphemia?" Lelouch asked once the wisecracking aura diffused.

"She is… healthy, but different. She's changed a lot, sometimes I don't recognize her as well as I should. Her anger bursts out from time to time, equitably or not." Reality had a habit of subverting people's expectations at random, often dishearteningly so. Regardless of his own feelings, Suzaku was well-versed in accepting that fact.

"It should be my responsibility to help her… I owe her that."

"Lelouch, tell me the truth. When you Geassed her, it was an accident, right?" Surprisingly, Suzaku managed to pose a question that clouded his judgement for an entire year so offhandedly. Equally surprising, Lelouch wasn't anywhere near prepared to provide an answer.

"…What makes you think that?"

"C.C. told me shortly after I got mine about how Geass goes rampant given enough usage. I just never put two and two together until recently."

"Is that what you want to hear?" It was Suzaku's wish to leave the past behind.

"It is what I want to believe." Lelouch lengthened his profound contemplation, his frown slowly subsided as the Japanese pilot offered him a pat on the arm.

"Then you have me." Given Lelouch's candid admission, the Knight of Zero tightened his squeeze on the Emperor's sleeve, not to intimidate or injure, but to certify their mutual acceptance.

"I am not the one to forgive you, I have more important things to consider than hatred. Nonetheless, I'll help you out since the one you need to amend keeps her tabs crystal clear."

"…You have my thanks."

"Don't thank me yet… I have- there's something I must let you know." Lelouch was patient as he waited for Suzaku to present. Purposefully or not, his anticipation caused a degree of vacillation to bother the knight. "It's about Zero Requiem… look- I… I can't. I can't do it."

"Is that so… I understand." Lelouch's facial appearance defaulted to an unreadable blank, giving off an eerie vibe.

"The situation has changed, I can't afford to be someone else for the rest of my life, I won't be able to keep up the act." Still, Suzaku was fueled by his own determination, prompting him to lay his cards on the table now that he was living his life for someone else's sake.

"Do what you think is right, give Euphie what she deserves."

"I will, and you?"

"I… will keep doing what's been working."

Which was basically nothing at all, both of them knew. Lelouch selected stagnation instead of progress on the route to the finale of his scheme, that much was palpable to anyone in on the plot. Not that Suzaku could blame his best friend, the stubborn selfishness which refuses to surrender one's own happiness was the indubitable evidence of his humanity, and the Knight of Zero rather him have that than his retribution.

"Once the world is in a better place, I plan to move away from here with Euphie." Not wishing to delve further into the shambles of Zero Requiem, Suzaku distracted Lelouch with a story of his own. "We'll go somewhere quiet, somewhere peaceful. Australia, or Greenland… or somewhere else. Away from policymaking and war, just the two of us."

"I can certainly see that for you two, I agree it's for the best. However, let me catch you while you're still here." Signalling with a crisp snap, one of Lelouch's Royal Guards came to him and delivered a peculiar briefcase. "You should take this, for the road."

"…Are you sure?" Suzaku was rather familiar with the white container ornamented by bits of gold trinkets, the vessel for the unmistakable symbol of Britannia's authority.

Lelouch was giving him the Imperial Spector, the only one of its kind.

"Just in case something happens, it's good to stay prepared." Possessing no reason to refuse, the Knight of Zero accepted the Emperor's endowment, along with it the responsibility.

"I'll keep it in good care." Lelouch nodded in recognition of Suzaku's sincerity.

"And… when you meet Nunnally…" The last snippets of Lelouch's sentence got caught in his throat, unsure of how to proceed.

"If she is free to reach her own resolution, I'll do nothing. Nunnally has the right to live a life she won't regret."

"Yes, that is preferable…" Suzaku could recognize Lelouch was dilly-dallying on whether he should transform the rest of his thoughts into English, but eventually decided against it.

Before either man could launch into another unusually friendly chat or awkward raillery, Cecile the scientist intervened. "Your Majesty and Sir Kururugi, we're ready for takeoff."

"Thank you, Miss Cecile. I'll be right behind you." The purple-haired researcher returned a smile, she stepped ahead of Suzaku to climb the Avalon's ramp.

"Miss Cecile, please wait a minute. Stay still for me, please." Until Lelouch ordered for her to remain where she stood, Cecile almost tripped over herself as she turned around.

Instances of Suzaku's bafflement compounded onto each other when Lelouch tip-toed beside him, whispering something to him within earshot. "I've heard that Cecile's cooking is absolutely abominable? Care to corroborate?"

Suzaku aimed his stare at Lelouch, then at Cecile, and back at Lelouch again. How in the world the teenage king felt the spur to gossip would be forever incomprehensible to the knight, although that couldn't stop him from taking an act of petty revenge. "Well… she does this thing where she follows a recipe up to a certain point… then she stops, and she really shouldn't have stopped."

"Curious, I see." Instead of clarifying his sudden inspiration to tattle, Lelouch decided now was a good time to fidget around with a toy car in his palm instead. "-Miss Cecile, please look at me." Tense and dumbfounded, the scientist nevertheless complied as Lelouch reached for his contact lens, exposing her to his inhuman power.

"-Woah- hey! Don't do that!" Suzaku impulsively protested, uncomfortable with the notion of his best friend abusing his Geass on a whim.

"Have some faith in me, I'll explain myself once the time is right. For now, make sure to keep a bit of distance from me, unless you want to…" Instructing Suzaku to take a step back, Lelouch raised his other hand without a model car, instead a smartphone.

"-Want to what?"

"Nevermind, it's not important. Please, just trust me." Ultimately, Suzaku believed the lies and deception of the once infamous freedom fighter were tools already discarded. He followed through on Lelouch's order and allowed him to wield his power.

"Now, Miss Cecile. Please, from now on follow the cooking recipes you see without deviation. If you must deviate, consult with someone who might enjoy your meal in advance, thank you." The Geass took effort, more politely than usual.

"Of course, understood, Your Majesty."

"Perfect." Lelouch shielded his luminous iris once its job was done, giving free-will back to a Cecile no less confused than before.

"Hummm? Oh, well- I'll go on ahead, Suzaku, take your time." The KMF developer collected herself pronto, not daring to leave behind a poor impression on the Emperor with her bewilderment. "Good day, Your Majesty."

"Did you need to do that?" Suzaku said, drowning out his unpleasant tone in a low scoff.

"Don't you trust me?"

"I want to, not if you keep testing it."

"I won't, you have my word." Lelouch provided his free hand for a shake. Suzaku took it, somewhat hesitantly. "You have a good trip with Euphie. Hopefully, our stalemate with Schneizel will be solved by the time you get back."

"Right… good luck with that."

"To you as well, fair wind."

— —

**Author's note**

I thought the opening bit was pretty funny, immature, yes, but pretty funny.

One thing though, is something I want to make sure everyone knows. I won't speak my opinion through the characters, definitely not. Every segment has a perspective character, that's who the narration takes its viewpoint from. The narration might even be incorrect if the character believes something false to be true, since it's all third-person limited. Very rarely the narration may jump to third-person omnipotent, but that's mostly because my writing skills can be brought into question.

Replying to a guest user's review on Euphemia's canonical character and her SAZ: Personally, I feel that there's no reason to assume the SAZ would've inevitably failed. We don't know enough about Britannia's political and economical structure to say for sure what could've happened. I haven't read the fic you referenced, and I'm not saying the SAZ is definitely going to work, but we shouldn't base our opinion of canonical facts on a fanwork, even if it's very well thought out.

I feel we should look at the authorial intent of the writers for what the SAZ meant to the story. I believe that the accidental Geass is a total copout where the writers wrote themselves into a corner and found it too difficult to continue the story for the SAZ to fail naturally. Because the implication of everything leading up to it was that the SAZ is a direct threat to Lelouch's rebellion since it has the potential to settle everything, ending the fight when he didn't want to. If the writers believed the SAZ to be unsustainable by itself, they would've mentioned it somewhere. But all this is my opinion, what I'm saying is we shouldn't speak our opinions as facts. The SAZ could've failed or not, it all depends on how the original writers envisioned it before they pulled the plug.

For Euphemia's character in this story. I won't spoil too much, but she isn't perfect anymore like her canon depiction. She is flawed and hypocritical, and that'll be a character arc in the future.

Replying to hughfj08's review on using the Geass canceller on Euphemia: Nobody knows what'll happen if Geass canceller is used on Euphemia, Suzaku didn't think it was worth the risk since getting a soul getting whisked away isn't the same as dying. If you wanna know more, I've said my opinion on the Geass effect in-depth in the last chapter's AN.

Shoutout to GabrielRavier for pointing out a previous typo I had, thanks dude. Also shoutout to Marche V for the same thing, I dunno why it took me so long to understand what you meant in that one review, I just never read too much into it.

Yeah, this is virus time.


	17. Countdown under pressure

**Countdown under pressure**

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Grandberry, en route to Cambodia**

**A week after the decision to resolve Damocles was made**

Each stroke of the piano keys spouted forth trembling vibration into the bones of Marrybell's every finger. The reverberating tune strung together with a masterful manipulation of her instrument sung a saddening melody echoing in her private chamber, heard by no one except herself. At the manuscript's end, the music whimpered out as she bounced off the keys lighter and lighter for the outro, leaving her all by her lonesome.

In times like these, Marrybell appreciated music's wonders more than ever. It drowned out her sorrows, washed away her worries, calmed her nerves and prepared her for the finale. Months of groundwork all boiled down to a few hours of execution, she was so close to her journey's crescendo her heart could just about explode waiting for the beat to drop.

She glanced out the windows of her room aboard the Grandberry, a small fleet of airships acted as her escort, or so she wanted to believe. In the centre of the floating formation was her nation's representation of dignity and prowess, the flagship of Lelouch's aerial fleet, the Great Britannia soared across the sky ahead of her.

The two siblings eventually agreed on a much humbler strategy to neutralize Schneizel than either had recommended, a combined fleet of Lelouch's air force and Marrybell's Glinda Knights will advance on Cambodia, on the way she will message him with false intelligence and genuine threat. If the Emperor's wisdom was to be trusted, their brother shouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to receive a Geassed Lelouch delivered directly to his doorsteps.

_If Schneizel doesn't scuttle the Damocles, tuck away his tail and bail, the plan should work. _Their aerial armada might not be capable of withstanding a F.L.E.I.J.A warhead, that didn't mean it couldn't dish one out. It was the worst-case scenario to be sure, but if the battle ahead was to escalate to a conflict of mass destruction, Lelouch and team processed an ace up their sleeves, the F.L.E.I.J.A. Eliminator.

_Well… none of this will matter anyway_.

Feeling the mood for another song, Marrybell gently cracked her knuckles and placed her digits where they were the most comfortable. Soon afterwards her sweet and rich voice could be heard along with the piano string.

"…~I guess there is no one to blame… ~We're leaving ground! ~ Will things ever be the same again…?"

_I'll be the batman our world needs._

"~It's the final countdown…~!"

— —

"Marry, you free? I wanna talk."

"You want to have this conversation again?" If Oldrin twitched her eyebrows at Marrybell's abrasive greeting as she proposed a theme, she didn't let it show behind the Glinda Knight's visor.

"This will be the last one."

"I am going through with this plan, my pretty."

"At what cost?"

"A calculated one. Picture it, for ten thousand lives we'll gift the world peace for years to come. As far as sales go, it doesn't get better than that." Marrybell was about to chuckle at her own insensitive quip, but the mood in her room didn't allow such jests to be made.

"You'll pay for it with your life."

"And maybe yours… and Orpheus', maybe all of us, maybe all for nothing too. Don't forget that part." Marrybell carefully settled the fallboard back down over the keys on her piano, the curtains of her solo concert had drawn to a close.

"That's different. We're soldiers, it's a risk everyone understands that might befall us. You're not the same, Marry. Victory or defeat, you only have death to look forward to ahead."

"I'll die a free woman, not a worm squirming in the glooms of the corpses left in my wake. I've been blind to the truth my entire life, no longer. I shall face my retribution standing upright."

"Marry, we all deserve redemption." Oldrin came in closer than the princess was comfortable with, resting a hand over her own as she felt the beating rhythms of their hearts in sync.

"Oz… why must you be so…" Why must the twist of fate act so cruelly upon her, to toy with her fragile emotions at the culmination of her odyssey. Why did Oldrin decide to only show her mercy and salvation when the dies were already cast.

"I thought you wanted to live."

"I thought you wanted my head." The Zevon daughter exhibited visible signs of irritation, having been touched in parts of her memories that she wanted to wipe out from ever existing.

"You can't just absolve yourself through sacrifice, that isn't… it's not fair!" There was an attempt on Oldrin's part to control her volume, it only lasted for so long as the tension elevated.

"Not fair to you?"

"Yeah, to me. You can't toy with me like this. I want an honest answer on how you feel!"

"My feelings about what?"

"…About us! You replaced me with Orpheus when I left, yet you couldn't leave me well enough alone! You had to take me back by force, just to abandon me again with this operation? Why're you like this, Marry!?" Oldrin's confession struck a nerve Marrybell didn't imagine could be so raw, perhaps the virtuous and reputable model knight was also crooked under the surface, just like the rest of them.

"It was you who forsake me in the first place for those scoundrels! Your place to be is by my side. Destroying my enemies and protecting me from danger! Yet you couldn't see through your misguided sense of justice to realize that!" Marrybell engaged her best friend in the verbal quarrel she initiated, demonstrating that she wasn't above the pettiness.

"M-me?! I'm at fault!? You were trampling over the citizens with your rule! Anyone suspected of harbouring rebellious intent was rounded up and disappeared! How am I supposed to serve you doing all that? You, whom our citizens dubbed the 'massacre princess'!"

"Everything I've done, even without knowing the truth- I did for the greater good! The masses are a foolish, disorganized bunch! They do not know how to compromise between freedom and security! Yet still, I do my utmost to provide both! Compared to that, what did joining the Star of Madrid do for your belief of protecting the weak!? What did you accomplish!?"

It was far too late at that point to retract her heated slanders and personal insults, Marrybell could tell. Even for a woman about to drown in hell, she still had the very human desire to defend her pride and meaninglessly argue. It was almost worthy of laughter were it not for the rapid and abrupt sniffs of her nose as wetness dribbled down her cheeks which interrupted her.

Mirroring her intense expression, Oldrin snatched the goggles from her eyes and stared down Marrybell venomously, a painful squeeze had replaced the soothing warmth between their interlocked fingers.

"I wouldn't know! Because you KILLED them all!"

"They were rebels after my throat! Should I've placed my neck upon the chopping block for you and your terrorist friends!? Instructing you where to make the cut!?" Deep down, Marrybell knew she was rationalizing her actions against her better judgement. What good would it do to dig up past grudges and lay them bear when nothing could derail the operation so close to fruition at that point.

"We only wanted to correct your flaws, your ruthless methods! A compromise between tyranny and anarchy! And they were my schoolmates, my friends! You robbed that from me! My only chance at normalcy!"

"I've been your only friend for your entire life, Oldrin! You'd be a nobody without me! You're NOTHING without me!" In the heat of the moment, Marrybell was savage enough to make any claim.

"And you've made me less than nothing! After you destroyed us… after what you did to me! After you took me… took my- you took me and…!" Polished nails found its way around Marrybell's neck, it wasn't the first time Oldrin had intended to strangle her.

"SAY it! Say it to my face! Bring me before the jury and accuse me!" There was no going back from that. Despite her heightened emotions on the verge of shattering, Marrybell understood perfectly that one of them had to yield for a conclusion to be attained.

Oldrin achingly tried to repress her overrunning tears to no avail, to preserve what little amount of dignity she had in reserve after Marrybell's treatment of her behind closed doors. The princess felt the scorching shame consuming her from the inside when her beloved knight broke down in a fit of screams, collapsing into Marrybell's laps as all the strength in her body vanished.

_I won this one… Oz._

"…You- you chained me up… in your prison…! You- you t-t-tortured me! Forced yourself onto me! And- and you… you- I hate you! …I HATE YOU!" Her knight continued to sob endlessly, it reminded her of a similar sense that took place not a month ago, except with their roles reversed. How exasperatingly ironic it was, for Oldrin to be the one in shambles when her revenge was well within grasp.

"I've done horrible things to you, my pretty. My motivation was love, lust… jealousy… and my result is hatred and sorrow. I hope you can remember this feeling, keep it in your heart until you unleash it through a blade to mine. It is what I promised you, recall why you took up this mantle of my knight once more." Marrybell stroked the twisty drill that was Oldrin's bang, her voice soft and tender as the feud had served its purpose of reigniting her knight's faltering loathing for her lord.

"But…! But that hatred doesn't last! No matter what I do… I can't bring myself to keep the fire ablaze…!"

"…Huh?" That was all Marrybell managed to utter before the table was turned.

"For all the suffering you've brought me, for all the crimes you've committed against humanity. Whenever I see your smile, it banishes my morality… it reminds me of how much I love you, Marry!"

That wasn't the way her plan was supposed to carry out, Marrybell panicked at the realization.

"-No! Stop that, you! Don't! Y-you can't!" She fretted and blushed, but it was all too late. The fervour in Oldrin's eyes burned brighter than any resentment.

"I can't help myself. My love for you blinds me to your wicked deeds, enlightens me to your selfless motive. So please… don't abandon me! I'll accept your evil, renounce my own justice if it means I can be with you!" Faster than the speed of light, Oldrin shimmied up the princess's body and seized her lips for a kiss. A kiss that she returned all too eagerly without considering its implications.

The power of Geass was supposed to isolate her, this wasn't what isolation meant.

"Oldrin…! No! You're supposed to be the good one…!" What Marrybell believed to be a beacon of virtue and honour crumbled right in front of her, unwillingly toppled by their link. It only seemed to be fitting in hindsight, what villainy and menace could never hope to accomplish was attained so readily by the love for another.

"Not without you, Marry. You said it, I am nothing without you. We're the flame and the shadow, two sides of the same coin. You've deceived the world for too long, and so have I deceived my own heart. I've been a hypocrite for too long, please listen to my truth."

For all the effort Marrybell put into her offense to demolish the last surplus of Oldrin's affection for her, she didn't comprehend how the fortifications around her own sentiments had been left vulnerable.

"Oldrin… please, no…" She might be weeping tears of joy, but they were shed in regret.

"What say you, Marry, my one and only love of my life? Deep down, you also desire to see tomorrow's sunrise as your time ticks on… so live with me, because I know eighteen birthday cakes aren't enough to satisfy your sweet tooth."

Oldrin was expecting an answer, and Marrybell complied.

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, Airspace over Pendragon**

Orpheus was about to interact with the lever controlling the ramp mechanism of their VTOL when Marrybell seized his wrist, careful not to rattle his grip on the gas canister in his clutch.

"…Marry?" She had taken his hand, allowing it to be enraptured in her own warmth as she clasped it between her palms. He started off confused, but soon acquired a good read on her expression and struggled no more to break free.

"Orpheus… lend an ear to me now, my courageous knight." Marrybell said, almost beggingly. "Many great men, powerful men, men revered by the whole world had once tried to bring Britannia to its knees; for a dream of conquest, they had sacrificed their lives and the lives of millions. I am no different, I'm ready to sacrifice the entirety of my very being and thousands more. But not for triumph, for a dream of harmony."

"I know that. Had I not felt your genuineness, I would've done what I joined you to do." Orpheus disclosed, the glistering of his eyes conveyed an essence of resolution despite hiding behind the Glinda Knight's eyeshade. So intense was his resolve, and Marrybell only hoped part of that was fueled by his affection for her. "I truly care for you, Marry. You and your dream are the future for us."

"You really have… haven't you?" Marrybell fondly whispered, snuffling her nose covertly to maintain her grace. "You've been good to me, Orpheus. I don't deserve your service."

"Neither of us believes in that, Marry." For a second, the princess wondered who the 'us' was. The twins had so much in common without their own comprehension, after all.

"And with my stanch faith placed in you, it gives me the confidence to uproot our stagnating world. Wiping the slate clean of the blood we sapped, leaving a fresh start for the next generation."

"We'll succeed."

"I… I know, I-I know." Marrybell couldn't say much to counter his encouragement. The dwelling anxiety, the lingering fear, it was a daunting sensation she couldn't shake. However, both of them understood it was meaningless to put that dreadful angst into words, for all the good it could do.

"I will not fail you, Marry."

"You won't. It's only… I'm sorry to force such a burden on you. Soon, you will be one of the most powerful men to ever exist- of course, all of us shall be. I'm only remorseful that I cannot give you power in the presence of agency, for you're entitled to so much more than what I can offer."

"This is my choice. My blade is yours to wield."

She knew then, as she always did; it was fruitless to persuade Orpheus with his tenacity to stand so firm, nothing short of impossibility could stop him, maybe not even.

"And I appreciate you all the more… I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, trying to reassure you when I'm the one in most distraught." The hierarchy between a commander and her soldier temporarily dissipated when Orpheus reversed the hold Marrybell had on his hands, letting his poise seep through their gloves.

"It's going to be alright, Marry. I am your knight and will do your biddings… until the day of the grand betrayal, you'll have all the time you need to hesitate."

"Time… so it shall be…" Trailing off her unfinished sentence which rejuvenated a flair of hope in her Head Knight, Marrybell reached for the lever and propped open a gateway into the hangar of Lelouch's flagship. "Go now, my brave Oz, set the stage for act one of our finale."

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

"So like… you two hanging in there alright?"

"Yeah… yeah, it's about… something like that- yeah. I mean, Gino is great. He's kind, tall and handsome… charismatic. He's honestly a great guy." Strolling side by side aboard the Logres-class Battleship, Kallen and Monica chatted about their daily lives as they savoured the remaining hours of quiet before the storm.

"That's gotta end with a 'but' in there somewhere."

"But… we're just not hitting it off as well as I thought, you know? And it's really not anyone's fault, I just feel like we're missing a bit of chemistry to make it work. Maybe it's just me, I dunno… I used to date this other guy in Area Twenty-four and…—"

Kallen relaxingly listened to Monica's polite rant about her relationship hurdles. Pretending to be a Milly wasn't her favourite pastime, especially when almost everyone else seemed to be having such mundane issues compared to the enormous triangular complication that was the thorn in her side.

"I'm surprised Emperor Lelouch permits our relationship at all, actually. The last Emperor was against dating in the workspace, he claimed it to be unprofessional."

"Isn't it though?" Kallen played a rare instance of the devil's advocate.

"Well, maybe. Except you can't call me out on it! Look who you're with!"

"Man… it's like an open secret, huh?" Everybody and their mother in the palace knew about Lelouch's two consorts, one of them much more elated about the publicity than the other.

"It's all good, you two are cute together. Maybe even all three."

"That makes me feel better, not one bit."

"Beggars can't be choosers."

"…Oof." Going by Kallen's grunt, that conversation was on its deathbed,

"Anyway, I gotta run back to the bridge, things are about to heat up in another couple hours."

"Righto, I'll do some checkups on my Knightmare." They had reached the main elevator of the airship where the two knights had discrete destinations.

"I wanna go out for a whirl too, honestly. Being cooped up all day with a briefcase chained to my wrist isn't what I'm hoping for."

"How you're still the Royal Guard captain is totally beyond me."

"I make do." The elevator beeped once, going down.

"See you around, Moe."

"Godspeed, Kallen, let's hope you won't need it." The Knight of Ten waved her fellow comrade farewell, contemplations on the upcoming mission already filling her mind as the doors sealed.

Kallen tightened the elastic straps of her mask around the back of her head, following strictly to Lelouch's orders for her to keep her face hidden at all times once they were near the zero hour. She tapped one foot at a constant rhythm as the simple elevator music played, waiting for the vertical ride to conclude and her tautness to dilute.

Not too soon after she entered the metal box, its doors opened, although on the wrong floor.

"Going… down." Kallen shuddered a little when it was revealed that C.C. was the one who called for a lift.

"Thanks, Four-Chan." The masked pilot let the moniker slide, not worth the effort.

"Where to?"

"Hangar."

"Hum…" Kallen pressed no buttons that weren't already pressed. "You're sortieing today?" Upon closer inspection, C.C. was donned in a flight suit much like herself.

"If we do sortie. I'm wishing we won't."

"Do you have a Knightmare?"

"They made me a pink Lancelot."

"Pink…? Gross."

"To each her own."

They weren't going anywhere fast, both in location and in communication. Thereby Kallen decided it was as good a place as any to voice her grievance.

"So I wanna ask you something."

"Ask."

"Can I get a Geass too?" C.C. shot a glance her way, it read something between absurdity and mockery.

"Do you think you deserve one?"

"When's that been a criterion?" Kallen injected a dose of indignation in her retort, unable to forgo the enviousness for her flying rival so casually.

"When I'm the one deciding who gets a Geass."

"You gave one to Suzaku."

"Suzaku is different."

"How so?"

"You won't get it." C.C. either didn't know or refused to temper Kallen's irritation, and it was about to show.

"C'mon, cut the shit! Are you honestly telling me that Suzaku deserves a Geass more than me!?" The Knight of Ten slammed her fist against the metal-plated wall next to C.C., demanding her full attention instantly.

"I gave him one… on Lelouch's order." When C.C. confessed, she didn't deluge in her complacency to the usual extent.

"Why would he do that for him and not me?" However, that excuse wouldn't do if the witch's goal was to throw Kallen off her case. What bothered her tremendously wasn't who in Lelouch's inner circle had a power, it was why she never received an offer to choose.

"I thought we're talking about you."

Kallen reflected fleetingly, she determined that a distraction was tolerable if it brought them back to a topic she was more invested in. "Fine, as I said, I want a Geass. And I feel that I perfectly deserve one, you should know, we've been together for so long."

"It's true, we've known each other for over a year, and precisely because of that, it never encouraged me to give you a Geass."

"Explain yourself right now." Kallen's blood boiled, just not on the outside, not yet.

"I see you seething underneath your mask, and that's always what you do. You're too impulsive. Call it passionate if you want, but to wield a Geass requires a clear head and rational thoughts, not anger or instin—"

"-That- that's so bullshit! You calling me stupid or something!? Besides-! I make split-second decisions on the battlefield based on smart and knowledge!" Kallen cut in before C.C. could speak more.

Words hurt, especially if it came from someone Kallen respected to a certain degree and were spelling out her flaws so forthrightly that it didn't sound like a cheap insult.

"I'm not finished, you're just proving my point."

"…Fine."

"A Geass manifests depending on the subconscious desire of its wielder. Lelouch wanted a tool to defeat Britannia, Suzaku wanted a method to reunite with his princess. Both of them had conviction and resolve to support their willpower. Tell me, what is it you want?"

"I… I want to protect…" That inquiry stomped her, not because she didn't have an answer for C.C., but more so that even Kallen understood her tenet could be considered as shallow by many. "I want to protect Lelouch, protect his ideals and future! I'll help him rule as a fair and just Emperor bringing peace to every corner of the world."

"You can exaggerate if you so choose, but I've seen what you've been doing for the past three months. Other than sleeping, eating, playing and fucking, what have you done that's truly important?"

Kallen remained speechless, her mouth slightly agape and her focus tousled by C.C.'s piercing golden orbs as she stared her down, claiming her victory. Just like that, one of the world's strongest pilots was brought to her knees, not physically, but she had been clearly bested by the undying witch.

"Hmmm… look-" C.C. sighed. She shuffled a bit closer to the girl teetering between wrath and self-doubt. "I've made a mistake in the past with a contractor of mine, I don't want to repeat that again. For Suzaku, I gave him one out of necessity more than anything else. If I am to grant you a Geass, I want it to be something that'll actually benefit you."

"Okay…"

"Talk to me again after this operation is done, we'll see how we can work something out."

"Fine… you promise to at least consider it once we're back home?"

"For sure, I'll do that for a friend."

At last, the longest elevator ride ever recorded in human history came to an end. Kallen didn't care much to continue their sordid bickering a second longer, so she exited the metal box as soon as able to terminate any semblance of hostility while she was still ahead of her compulsion.

"-…No, you're thinking too much. I was talking about a contractor I had after giving you yours. …Yeah, I said 'had'." Hushed mumbles drifted into Kallen's earshot before she was completely out of the picture. It was definitely C.C.'s voice, even though it lacked its essential smugness and condescension.

"What? Did you say something?"

"-Huh? Oh- no, nothing. Don't worry about it." Obviously, Kallen could still interject if she so chooses, but sticking her nose in the witch's business often led to unfavourable outcomes.

"I'mma gonna be by my Knightmare, you'll be fine by yourself?"

"What could possibly happen to me?"

"I wish for lotta things."

"Hush, child. Run along now." Kallen sneered back and flipped off her green-haired adversary, soon disappearing into the busy crowd of mechanics and pilots alike in the underbelly of the Great Britannia.

— —

Kallen was inclined to admit she couldn't be considered as someone with a fine eye for details when it came to observing her surroundings, that was probably why it took until now for her to realize Marrybell's Glinda Knights bore their own unique insignia in addition to the standard Britannian military mark.

From the extended ramp of the Glinda Knights shuttle out walked a formally dressed Marrybell and her faceless knight, an unannounced appointment seemed like their purpose aboard Lelouch's airship. Upon closer inspection, the princess was busily tapping away on her smartphone, oblivious to the Knight of Ten approaching her for an introduction.

"You shitposting on Twitter again, Marrybell?" Kallen casually greeted them both. As per usual, the masked bodyguard never untied his tongue a single time.

"…Just browsing… you won't believe the crap Euphie managed to stir up with her little stunt last week. We're hitting numbers you won't believe in these retweets."

"I have no gauge for what that's like."

"Imagine… let's say, if Michael Jackson or Elvis… or David Bowie came back to life or something—"

"David Bowie is dead? Whaaaaat?" Marrybell might be shooting her the 'is this girl serious' look, but her disbelief could never match Kallen's own shock.

"…Girlfriend, no."

"But I thought he was—"

"-I said no! Please! I-I… I don't wanna deal with this retardation right now! I'm not in the mood for it!" Marrybell all but screamed in Kallen's face, clearly demonstrating a degree of agitation unwarranted by the Round's pleasantry.

"I'm just joking, jeez. Calm down, Marrybell." It was apt for Kallen to repay aggression with aggression, Marrybell's reaction more than merited it. However, judging the Viceroy by her disturbing frown and brooding posture, the ace Devicer chose the higher moral ground of forgiveness. "Something got to you? Wanna talk about it?"

"No, it's just… apologies, I'm really stressed out right now. We're less than two hours away from arriving at the Toromo Agency, who's to say everything will work out the way we planned."

"I'm sure it will. It's you and Lelouch we're talking about here, maybe just one of you can't handle Schneizel, but with your IQ combined there's nothing you two can't overcome." Kallen had placed her bets on Lelouch since the birth of their rebellion all the way up to the Imperial throne, she wasn't about to fold now.

"Thanks for being so optimistic, I honestly don't know how you do it."

"Hey, I'm super worried too, but what can you do about it. Just try to relax, it'll come naturally."

"I'll watch and learn. Hopefully, it'll ease my burden too." Marrybell sighed, although not so tiredly.

"I guess you're under a lot of pressure… oh- hey! Under Pressure!"

"What…?" At first, she was confused, but it soon dawned on her. "Aaah- hahaha… ~Pressure…! Pushing down on me~! Pushing down on you~ no man ask for-"

It was only polite to participate in a bit of makeshift karaoke since Kallen brought her pun upon them, she just hoped Marrybell's knight didn't judge her too harshly. "~It's the terror of knowing what the world is about~! Watching some good friends scream- 'let me out!'~"

Despite their lack of background music, the two girls still could jam one out if they must.

For the last chorus, Kallen and Marrybell combined their voices, echoing the original recording of the song by the legendary artists of their decade. "~This is our last dance~! This is our last dance, this is ourselves… ~under pressure… under pressure~ …pressure…~" They hummed the epilogue of the tune, lessening the volume to the end. Chortles of joy were their encore, and that played on for a bit longer.

"I see you've been practicing." Marrybell commented through her chuckles.

"I take lots of showers."

"We should definitely do more of this." A fantastic suggestion from Marrybell, Kallen thought.

"Agreed, I'll hold you to it." Both of the jubilant girls paused to reassert the situation, smiles still lingering over their faces.

"Anyway, I gotta run. I'm going to meet up with Lelouch. Thanks for that, I needed it."

"No problem, see you on the ground."

"Good luck to you, Kallen."

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

One of the first impressions Marrybell gleaned of Lelouch was that he was secretly more of a coffee person, as compared to the average Britannian's favour for tea. To her mild delight, the Emperor proved her deduction correct as he stirred a mixture of espresso, milk and sugar by the lounge counter, where the two siblings rested in privacy.

Following suit, Marrybell poured herself a cup of Earl Grey. Smelling its rich amora, she grew conscious of her Britannian blood as she reaffirmed her cherish of the flavour leaves over coffee beans.

"Some for your knight?" Unexpectedly, Lelouch showered his generosity upon not only Marrybell but also her pilot standing silently at ease by the exit.

"-Oh, thank you, but not for Lyre, brother. We won't dare to overstep your goodwill, and he isn't a 'drinks person' per se." Lelouch aimed a single glance her way, slowly shifting it towards the Deceiver as he mused, his impassive character clouded in mystery leaked no insight into his opinions.

"I do appreciate your cooperation; hope I'm not intruding on his rights too much."

"No brother, not at all. Were I in your place, I'd have asked for a shape-shifting Geass user to never set foot on this airship. You're most kind already by allowing him to accompany me." Marrybell sipped on her tea elegantly, thankful that Lelouch only demanded that Lyre be only always accounted for and nothing else.

"As long as you understand."

"And I do. Like I said, you've been most kind, Lelouch. I shall be forever regretful that it took so long for us to reunite."

"It's never too late, we have plenty of time ahead of us." The Viceroy heard, but not heed.

_It's too late, brother. Maybe in the next life. _What was left unsaid pinged Marrybell's spirit with compunction, although no remorse was poignant enough to distract her from her final journey.

"Anyhow, what're your plans once we're done, Marrybell?" In the duration of Marrybell's self-conviction, Lelouch prodded her to imagine a future that never will be.

"I'll probably head back to my Area, there're things left I have to do. By no means do I wish to sound hubristic, however my trip to the capital is supposed to be a vacation."

"I am aware, I was hoping you can stay longer after today."

"Well… if His Majesty so requests, arrangements can be made." Marrybell said, a quiet chuckle from Lelouch was her reply.

"By all means, consider Pendragon to be your home away from home. It should've always been, were our father the emperor he should've been."

"Something that you've done wonderfully towards mending, I can surely attest to." The young princess sincerely meant what she claimed. Lelouch had been nothing if not a reasonable and unbiased king to the populace, and not just his own.

_It is a tragedy of the highest order that our world is in no demand for a righteous ruler, but a necessary martyr._

"Do you really believe what you said? That I'm objectively speaking, to the majority of the population- a good king?"

"Yes, of course. Why else would I accept your claim to the throne?"

"You could've grown accustomed to a life of torpor, zapped of all ambitions day by day." So subtly, the pitch of Lelouch's speech shifted. The mellower atmosphere of seconds earlier snivelled out and was replaced by an attitude of authority.

"I disagree, for I believe the opposite to be true. Forget not that I too am an heir of the last emperor, and his children- us, are bound to be encased in conspiracies. It's only a matter of time until we break free from our cocoons of stagnation, a meagre life in luxury is no way to live."

"That is too true. My life after my exile was horrendous, but not unsustainable. I could've enjoyed mediocrity until the end of days had I accepted my fate. However, it was Geass that changed my destiny, giving me purpose. It was the mask of Zero that introduced me back to the world of men, to become an architect of schemes." Lelouch monologized the tale of his past, much to Marrybell's curiosity.

"It's not so different for me… I only recently came into existence."

"And with it comes plans for the future?"

"It does."

"Plans for the future incompatible with mine?"

The loud pumping of Marrybell's heart rang out endlessly on the inside of her ears, she felt her blood running cold in her veins on the edge of eruption. Could there be a trap in Lelouch's question, the Viceroy couldn't predict. For just like their father, Lelouch often employed the same tactics to unnerve his opponent and disassemble their façade before handing them a metaphorical defeat, or sometimes a practical one.

"…Who's to say, I haven't thought that far ahead." If what Lelouch sought for was an admission of guilt, he needed to at least bind her to a windowless cell.

"A word of advise, my dear sister. You have seen firsthand a king's magnanimity, so have you witnessed a revolutionist's brutality. Decide cautiously which is preferable to you, lest you find the ire of a king looming over you." How Lelouch managed to utter a phrase so frighteningly yet also so nonchalantly was a talent beyond recognition, his expression remained neutral all the way through and leaked no secrets towards his mindset.

"…Noted." That was as pronounced as a warning she would ever receive, and Marrybell was made to hear it.

"That is not to say I discourage you from chasing your own dream, you must have them."

"I do…"

"Care to share?"

"I wish to bring about an end to our era of endless war. To create a gentler world for all…"

"That's… it's a beautiful goal to have. If only it was so easy."

Marrybell knew exactly how impossible it was, for the fruition of that dream was her hill to die on.

"…This twisted game needs to be reset."

— —

**Author's note**

I'm honestly not too happy with the interactions between Marrybell and Oldrin, I wanted to develop their relationship for a bit longer before what happened this chapter happened, but I feel that would've taken way too long and bog downed the plot too much. My original plan was to give Oldrin more of an arc before she turned around, so I'm a bit embarrassed.

If you wanna get the gist of what happened in their past, the Code Geass wiki should have the articles. Of course, my take on the story does divert from canon, so it won't all match up. It does put me in a weird spot, since there're people who don't know the Oz characters and I wanna write the backstory into the plot, but there's also people who do know, and I don't want to waste their time.

Overall, it just feels kinda bad to have not planned this thing out better, sorry about that. I still hope you guys enjoy my interception on the spinoff characters, that's it's not too messy and stuff.

I won't be discussing too many plot relevant topics in the AN like I did the last couple of chapters, it feels like me copping out from writing it into the story and just explaining what happens. PM me if you're dying to know something plot related, but I'll try harder not to spoil my own story.

Thanks to everyone who reads this fic, I'm just slowly working on it over here.


	18. Unexpected Visitor

**Unexpected Visitor**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Aerial Battleship Avalon, airspace over Kyoto**

**Two days since the Avalon departed from Pendragon**

"_This is where we part ways, be careful on your mission, Anya._"

"_Thanks, Suzaku. You too._"

"_I'll be fine, I'm just going home after some time away._"

"_Country roads… take me home?_"

"_Euphie made that joke already, sorry._"

"_Groove street, home. At least it was before I fucked everything up?_"

"…_That's much closer._"

— —

It was a rarity to hear Anya fetch a curse word from her vocabulary and apply it to her severe lack of expression, Suzaku wouldn't have believed the old Anya being capable of stringing together a sentence like that. Albeit it was uttered with the same enthusiasm she said her farewells in as she took off with the Mordred from the Avalon over the South China Sea, undertaking a classified mission the Knight of Zero wasn't privy to.

Not that Suzaku's curiosity was consuming him, unlike the guilt of returning to his native country, a country whose metropolis he blew up half a year ago; that guilty conscience was actually eating him up. Even if technically the thirty million lives which he took was robbed by the influence of Geass more than anything else, scapegoating the blame onto Lelouch wouldn't turn back the clock.

Suzaku understood he must pay the price somewhere down the road, just not at that moment. Right now, he had a duty far more important than atoning for the past, he had to protect the future of an innocent soul deserving a far better world than what theirs could offer.

Based on the slight turbulence that shook the floating carrier as it broke through the clouds, Suzaku estimated it would take at most half an hour for him and Euphemia to set foot on solid ground. The time was plentiful for any regular person to get ready for a trip outdoors, but as he knew at heart, the princess he escorted was more than that, more than normal.

"-Euphie, I'm coming in." Suzaku knocked on the door to the cabin he and Euphie shared, usually a locked room was his sign that she wasn't welcoming visitors.

"…Yeah! Just hop on in." Although that wasn't the case when Suzaku twisted the doorknob and was allowed entry.

Euphemia flashed him a quick smile and received one just as bright for her effort. She was slumping carelessly on the queen-sized bed. A slackened grin resurfaced over her face shortly after their greeting. She clicked on a tablet in her possession on the mattress, frequent giggles echoed out while she browsed whatever it was that entertained the princess.

"What're you looking at?" Suzaku rested a hand on the young girl's shoulder, soon to be joined by her own fingers.

"Some social media. Can you believe my tweet is almost at a million retweets?"

"Actually, yeah." Despite his best attempt, Suzaku knew there was a small dose of criticism in his answer.

"It's okay, you can be angry at me if you want. I did cause quite a scandal."

"Euphie… I'm not angry, I'm just- I'm not sure. This isn't what I wanted for us." A tug on his sleeves instructed him to rest by her side, Suzaku saw no reason to refuse.

"I dunno… maybe you're right. I wasn't thinking clearly when I broadcasted to the world, maybe it wasn't the best decision. Is it funny that I always seem to be the centre of all the controversies?" Controversy was one way to describe the consequences of Euphemia's actions, both before and after her death, but Suzaku's purpose here wasn't to argue semantics.

"You do have a knack for it… and this one isn't too bad. I'm sure people will forget about it soon. They always do."

"But they haven't forgotten me… of course not, because I reminded them." Euphemia whispered, her tablet discarded to the side of the bed and her smile forged to a frown. "Do I want to be remembered? Be infamous? Revise the texts in the history books which condemned me, or spill a new river of blood to replace the old?"

Her grip on the back of his hand tightened, not painfully so, just firmly; to make Suzaku understand that her conscious mind was still in control, but how sound she was, that he couldn't decrypt through their connection of the flesh.

"Euphie, what do you want from life?" Suzaku prodded, seeking for a hint to guide his princess on a path away from danger.

"I don't know… other than being with you, I'm so lost." At least they had one fundamental principle to work on, one that Suzaku was rather happy with all things considered. "I say all the stuff about hating Lelouch, about wanting my title back… but it's all just talk, that's all I can do."

"You don't need to be pressured to do anything more." Suzaku reassured her.

"That's it, isn't it? I should have gratitude overflowing just for being alive again, but… that isn't how I am." Cutely, Euphie blew raspberries and kicked her legs over the bed frame, contrasting their stern conversation with her childish behaviour. "I still hear the call of my curse. I still feel this yearning for something more."

"We can figure that out together, we still have all the time in the world." That was the best response Suzaku could come up with, the struggles of his pink-haired princess were beyond unrelatable despite their similar circumstances.

"Yeah, maybe… let me put those extra minutes to good use and not rattle my brain over this right now." Athletically, Euphie hopped off her bed and woke her body from its lazy slumber. "Let's go see what my dear sister Nunnally has been up to these days."

"Did she tell you anything about what's happened to her after Tokyo?" Suzaku still grappled with his deed, although it didn't show in his tone.

"She's working as an ambassador for the UFN, does that surprise you?"

"Not really." It was what Suzaku considered a fitting role for the younger sister of the smartest man he knew.

"Me neither. She said that Brother Schneizel didn't raise two eyebrows at her request for the job, so we can take it to mean many things."

"I hope to figure some of those things out soon."

"That can be your goal, I'm just here to see my second favourite sister."

**Kyoto, UFN main administration building**

Suzaku brainstormed lots of things he wanted to say to Nunnally if they ever reunite, a whole shopping list of them while on his way from the Avalon to the UFN headquarters. How he wished to apologize for all the grief he put her through, directly or indirectly over the year after Euphie's death. How she deserved none of the distress disposed on her shoulders.

However, not one of those ideas survived seeing the Emperor's full sister for the first time, truly seeing her eye to eye.

A wheelchair rolled up to a conference table, escorted by a short female soldier in uniform. Across from the host were her thought-to-be-dead half-sister and her former knight of honour standing by her seat, the long-awaited reunion was about to begin in solemn silence.

"I used to yearn so fruitlessly to perceive the world with my own two eyes, a beautiful world recounted to me in endless tales from my brother. Now do I fully understand, blindness can be not only of the sight, but also of the heart. And I was blinded of both."

"Nunnally…" Suzaku was completely at a loss for words. There wasn't anything he could say to disprove the accusation thrown at him.

"For the eternity that passed in a flash, for all the joyous years I've spent with my brother, I was protected that entire time from the cruel reality. Only when I am deprived of the care and shelter Lelouch once provided do I fully understand the state our world is in. Tell me Suzaku. Is it my brother's wish to tether me to his puppeteer's strings yet again?"

"…Lelouch only wants what's best for you."

"From whose perspective?"

"It'll be yours from here on out. He wants you to live your life how you see fit." That was Lelouch's will, to gift his precious sister the freedom from obligation, the freedom of her heritage.

Nunnally disguised a slightly surprised blink beneath her steadfast aura. "Is that so… and is my brother well?" She redirected to a more sensual topic.

"He is busier than he cares to admit, but otherwise Lelouch is fine."

"It does sound like him… overworking even on the Britannia throne."

"And now he is without the only person who can convince him to go to bed on time." Suzaku jokingly said, trying and succeeding at refreshing to a happier mood as Nunnally cutely covered her mouth to giggle.

Breathing through her waves of chortles, Nunnally mingled in a couple of rapid sniffs. Faint traces of tears drew a thin trail down her cheeks. "…I've missed you, Suzaku. And you too as well, Sister Euphie. In spite of all that's happened, I'm so happy to see you two together again."

Euphemia lovingly smiled back, a vague tinge of sadness in her gaze. The beckon to the peaceful days of the past was a hard reminiscence to resist, Suzaku knew that yarning for the better years all too well. "I'm pleased to be here, Nunnally."

"Sorry I didn't address you earlier, I thought it most appropriate to resolve the grudges of days gone first before diving into a fonder reunion."

"A wise decision."

"Therefore, allow me to introduce my companion." Nunnally gestured to the only unnamed occupant in the room, the girl who silently accompanied the crippled royalty. "This is Alice, my knight."

"Your Highness and Sir Kururugi. It's an honour."

The princess's bodyguard stepped forward and presented a refined bow. Strawberry blonde hair flaunted over her shoulders as she raised to a straightened stance, afterwards a mellow smile could be found not too far from her lips. Based on Suzaku's observation, she was a short teenager, roughly around her liege's age. Believing in Nunnally's judgement of people, he deemed her dependable and trustworthy.

"Suzaku, let's conclude our discussion."

"Let us."

"Whatever it was Lelouch planned to accomplish as Zero, whatever it is Lelouch plans to accomplish as the Emperor; I am powerless to obstruct his grand schemes. If he were on a campaign striving for the domination of our entire world, I would've done everything in my power to make an attempt. But as things are now, I want to believe he has set forth to rule with the betterment of humanity in mind. And… I'm proud that he chooses such a path."

Nunnally briefly paused, giving Suzaku an opportunity to interject which he didn't utilize.

"If that truly is his and your end goal, you have my endorsement to continue. Atone for the mistakes of the past with actions towards the future, that's your way of receiving redemption from the world." If it was an order from Nunnally, Suzaku would've willingly obliged. However, she voiced it as a request, a plea for aspiration.

"You have my word. We'll create a gentler world for all."

"Thank you, Suzaku. I have faith in you." Only then, only once they established which resentments to forgive and which oath to anticipate, did Nunally finally smile like she used to.

— —

"_Really, if I'm being honest, it's all so annoying. How am I supposed to take care of- of that… when I'm this handicapped? At least my blindness knew when to go away. Or else, the horror…_"

"…_Well, if you blossomed earlier, Lelouch would need to take care of your men- I mean- your… your… thing, for you, and you won't want that, trust me. Even worse, what if it happens during the year you're away from home? Having some maid help you with the thing? No thanks._"

"_Hmm… I see your point. It could've been a lot worse. I thought I'd be prepared to clean myself up but… but- I-I'm sorry- I'm sorry, but this is really uncomfortable for me. -Suzaku, it's so good to see you again. With that said, can you please leave?_"

"_Oh yes. Your dedication to our wellbeing is absolutely appreciated and it's not your fault we didn't ask you sooner, but Suzaku, love, give us a bit of privacy, please. You know, sisters and all._"

"_Yes, won't you be a dear and go take a walk? I'm sure my knight will make for a good tour guide. -Please see to it, Alice._"

— —

_What was that about?_

There surely existed more humiliating reasons to be kicked out of a family gathering, Suzaku heard the persuasion of his inner voice. He just couldn't think of any off the top of his head, or why he got the boot in the first place. What the two sisters were consulting with each other was already coated in ambiguity, the flustered and judgmental glare Nunnally shot him as she asked him to leave wasn't laced with any hints to help him understand.

On the opposite side of a sealed door, Suzaku didn't dare to disturb the delicate silence as he practiced his usual placidity beside Nunnally's knight. She was instructed by the younger princess to show him around the place, although in hindsight that didn't sound like a direct order.

It took roughly two minutes standing side by side in awkwardness before Alice broke it. "-Sir Kururugi, do you want a look around?"

"Not particularly." Suzaku honestly answered, his interest in anything not Euphemia related was lacking at best.

Alice gave him a quick nod, similarly contented with waiting for the sisters to savour their time together in peace.

The more minutes passed them by without occurrence, the more apparent to the knights that the royalties' private meeting wasn't going to conclude anytime soon.

"Sir Kururugi, may I?" Politely, Alice sought permission to speak.

"What is it?"

"I want to thank you for protecting Nunnally during the past year." Her gratitude towards him only instilled a sense of conflict in the pilot. "I understand it wasn't out of virtue alone, but nobody else could've done what you did for her."

"I could've killed her before, I thought I did at the time." The guilt he once shouldered for using Nunnally against Lelouch still chipped away at his morals, but the present was no time to be bogged down by the sins of the past.

"But it didn't happen, and that's what matters to me."

"…I see." Suzaku wasn't seeking absolution from his mistakes, although it didn't stop his subconscious from the feeling of relief.

"That's it, really. I just wanted to say what's been circling around up here." Alice said, lifting a finger to lightly tap at her temple. "It's just a 'thank you', nothing spectacular."

"You're welcome."

"Anyway…" The younger knight paused mid-sentence, her hand reaching into her pocket for a peculiarly shaped cylinder container. "Do you mind I hit my vape?"

"Go ahead."

"Appreciate it." Suzaku instinctively sanctioned Alice's request, before his brain properly analyzed the situation. By then, the air was already strained by a thick mist smelling like cotton candy.

"Do you smoke in front of Nunnally?"

"…This is her vape." Suzaku only stopped fanning the cloud permeating his breathing space when he came to a baffling realization.

"Hold on a sec, what's your relationship with her?"

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, en route to Cambodia**

_Working through the lunch break… you hate to see it._

Kallen was careful not to let the grease from her fried chicken sully the pristine condition of her joysticks as she typed command lines one after another into the Percival's OS, finishing up the calibration for its newest installation. Chewing the chicken leg down to the mellows, the Knight of Ten leaned over out of her open cockpit and spit the bone shards into a waste bucket on the stepladder, careful as to not let anyone observe her crude action.

The Percival's MVS Drill was pretty sweet, Kallen admitted on more than one instance. However, she was just that much of a Radiant Wave Surger kind of girl. So even if she had to manually configure some of the Knightmare's systems to replace its main weaponry, it was a chore she was willing to put up with.

What she couldn't put up with was the patience needed to keep her wits about her while waiting for the fleet to arrive at Schneizel's facility. Staying calm and collected in the heat of attack came naturally to Kallen, she only had to keep pace with her flow and no victory could squirm out of her grasp. It was the calm before the storm that unnerved her, the only time she could be found vulnerable.

Not to say she wasn't happy having the chance to feel so anxious. It was a thousand times better to be apprehensive now before the battle than to remain clueless as to when Lelouch's enemy might strike. To take the initiative and remove a thorn that might hinder her Emperor's prosperous reign was preferred over kicking her heels on the defense.

Her duty in the mission was simple. Takeoff on Lelouch's command and take out anyone on Lelouch's command, as easy it as it came.

_Thanks, Marrybell. You're too cool._ Kallen uttered a wordless approval for the orange-haired girl's daring operation. If it wasn't for her new friend, none of this would be a possibility.

When they first met, Kallen wanted to believe for Marrybell to be one of the good ones, whatever that truly meant to her. Now, she could say with confidence that prospect had come to fruition.

Wiping her glossy fingers off on a napkin, Kallen got done testing the new settings on the Percival just as she emptied her bin of chicken. She climbed out of the cockpit, careful not to knock over her bucket of bones as she descended from the ladder into the hangar. Taking with her the waste, she looked for a garbage bin to dispose of it somewhere.

However, at the bottom of the steps was Lelouch, curiously glancing up at the sloppy Knight of Rounds with bits of breading sticking to her cheeks.

"You've been a hard worker."

"…Exactly." Kallen blushed a deep crimson, although her sarcastic remark kept her personality intact.

"Good lunch?"

"Giving it three stars on Yelp. Could really do with a cleaner restaurant."

"You know, I really hate it when my chefs leave a bad review, slashes my profit."

"This is one of the plights of the working class."

"That they aren't oppressed enough? Message received."

The commander and knight hearty laughed at each other's jokes. It had been too long since Lelouch demonstrated his sense of humour, not since when he tricked her with a doppelganger.

"Come with me, Kallen." After sharing their moment, Lelouch gently asked for her company.

"For sure. Let me just chuck this." The redhead hasty wiped her mouth and slapped on her mask, ready to follow her liege.

"No need, take it with you."

"Alright…? What's your hurry, buddy?"

"You'll see." So Kallen obeyed, bagging the garbage to carry with her.

Strangely, Lelouch took her down one of the maintenance tunnels out of the hangar, one not often used by non-crew members of the airship. The hallway around them darkened over the distance they travelled at a pace slightly faster than a walk as the Emperor led the way. The ambient noises behind them gradually died down until the only sound reverberating in the empty channel was that of their footsteps and machinery of the Great Britannia.

"So, where're we going?" Kallen asked, her eyes yet to adjust to the darkness of the unknown section of the deck. It was almost too dark; she couldn't see further than a dozen metres ahead.

"Somewhere private."

"Oh… I get you." Of course, it was normal for Lelouch to behave so cryptically. To Kallen, that was a part of his charm.

Suddenly, Lelouch swirled to his left through a doorway, pulling Kallen along with him. The visibility hadn't improved in the slightest. She couldn't even tell if they went down another corridor or if they arrived at a closed-off compartment. The only thing in her field of view that retained its clear outline was Lelouch himself, and even he was still cloaked in shadows.

"I want to see you, Kallen. Show me." She felt his hand going for the straps on the back of her mask, purposefully unbuckling the fasteners for her.

"I thought you said to keep on my mask at all times?" Kallen teased, the noiseless space set an endearing mood for what was to take place soon.

Lelouch spoke no more once her disguise was removed, choosing to stare intensely into her azure irises instead. Flustered but engaged, Kallen returned his passion, exchanging loving stares between the two partners in arms as the looming silence enclosed them.

Lelouch then pulled her in close, tightly embracing the slim body of his ace pilot. The heartbeat of the strategist she felt pounding against her chest was rapid, although it mismatched her own.

Actually, upon reflection, the king's heart was beating too fast. It was somewhere in the high one fifties to one eighties. It was relatively unusual for someone who should be experienced with intimacy to have the heart rate of an athlete after a high-performance workout, especially from only a hug.

"Lelouch? You okay…?" Kallen was about to dart her eye from the profound blackness in the background to observe the expression of her lover, except she couldn't.

In the distance, somewhere too far away and too dark to see, a focused hue of dazzling scarlet ensnared her gaze, trapping her sense of vision.

Ever so briefly, Kallen desperately struggled to break free, both from the emperor's embrace and the redness consuming her perception. But her effort was lost to the nothingness that spread across her very being in the next second and devoured her will, soon followed by her reasoning.

The bag of organic garbage hit the deck, but no one was around to hear its echo.

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, within Cambodia borders**

"—Callsign Killer Queen, your code phrase is Alpha-One-Bravo-Tango-Delta-One. Confirm."

"—Confirmed."

"—No changes to current operation outline, remain on standby until activation. Confirm."

"—Confirmed."

"—End transmission." One tap on her phone's touchscreen and the call concluded.

There was a numb pain brewing beneath her left eye, so faintly irking her at every opportune moment. How Marrybell wanted to foolishly dismiss it as a manifestation of her physical weariness. If only she could remain forever ignorant to her superhuman ability and its downsides.

_It's unavoidable… it's bound to be. _Marrybell gave the Glinda Knight visor in her breast pocket a sturdy squeeze, she understood she would need it before long. For all the drawbacks and troubles her cursed left eye had caused her, it was a power she wouldn't trade for anything, not when she was this deep into her plot.

They were so close now. She could taste the victory on the tip of her tongue.

"Marry… worried?" From the seat across from her in the VTOL, a neutral voice checked in.

"You can tell?"

"I am too. It's only natural." Marrybell kept her quiet, nervous in suspense.

"Waiting for the clock might be the worst feeling in the world."

"Can't argue with that." The princess levelled her head from staring down at the screen of her phone, a pair of opaque visors worn by the knight she titled 'Lyre' was what acknowledged her.

"Can you… can you take that off?" Marrybell gestured at her companion's face, she couldn't keep her dislike for the masquerade at bay to any further extent.

"I won't need this anymore?"

"It'll be all direct action after this."

Lyre nodded, undoing her painstakingly applied façade over many long hours. Underneath the layers of synthetic wig, hairnet and makeup, Oldrin reappeared with her true identity revealed. Afterall, Lyre was just a convenient character both Oldrin and Orpheus could employ depending on whoever needed to disappear at any given moment.

"How similar did I look?" Oldrin loosened her bun of hair from its confinements and fluttered them behind her back.

"You two really are twins beyond a doubt. I can't even tell at a glance." Marrybell praised the finesse and details put into her caramel-haired protector's impersonation.

"Do you think anything could've gone awry?" Oldrin asked something unrelated, her slim fingers fidgeting a single 9mm bullet as she shared Marrybell's apprehension.

"Everything could have gone awry, here's to hoping nothing will."

"How many foreign assets do we have?"

"You were briefed on it."

"So roughly twenty to thirty. Plus another dozen host operators from Grandberry."

"Sounds about right." Marrybell was in no mood for idle chatter, a fact which she conveyed to Oldrin through her evidential lack of appealing response.

The two girls stewed in the enclosed cabin of the Glinda Knight's hovercraft, their only focus was on the hands of the ticking clock, counting down to the crucial second.

Eventually, it happened. Marrybell and Oldrin's earpiece flickered alive. The wave of silent noise was soon followed by the crisp voice of their distant third member. "—Oreo 2-2 to 2-1. The bridge has visual on target, we're on-site."

One call from Orpheus was all it took to put agonizing anticipation to a permanent end.

"—Oreo 2-1 copies. Rendezvous at the marker in two." The ace pilot responded once to her brother, nothing more needed to be said.

Marrybell exchanged a resolute look with her second-in-command, passing on a message between them without spoken words. Oldrin recognized her intention immediately, that was their cue to begin an unthinkable mission months in design.

"Let's gear up."

Swiftly, the princess unclipped two bulletproof vests from the closet behind her, passing one to her bodyguard and the other over her shoulders. In return, she received a spotless assault rifle from the shelves closer to Oldrin. A duffle bag of magazines loaded beforehand was unzipped and quickly emptied into the free holsters of their armour.

"Don't forget your gas mask." Oldrin reminded.

"Toss it here." That was their last piece of protective equipment.

"Marry, ready?" Oldrin asked rhetorically. Her own enthusiasm was certified by the longsword sheathed behind her back.

"Call it."

"—Oreo 2-1 to Grandberry. Operation Dorothy is a go. Get all hands to General Quarters. Transferring command to CDO." Oldrin tuned the dial on her headset, switching the channel of communication. "—Oreo 2-1 to all foreign assets, code phrase is Yankee-Bravo-Romeo-Seven-Two-Four. Execute pattern Alpha…"

The capable operator droned on instructions to the various soldiers the Glinda Knights had under their command, but Marrybell zoned out from listening to the continuous chatter over the radio after a while. To Marrybell, the finer details couldn't bother her as much as the grand picture, and there was only one frame in her mind she wanted to see in reality.

"—Good copy, Grandberry. Fire up the ECM at my go." Oldrin gave the rifle she entrusted her life on one more check over. The elastic sound of a cocking handle snapping back in place shattered the last bits of her princess' hesitation.

"It's a requiem…"

**Monica Krushevsky**

"—This is your XO. General Quarters, General Quarters. All hands man your battle stations. Traffic flow has your up and forward on the starboard side, down and aft on your port side. We're approaching the area of operation, ETA five minutes." Standing in front of her own workstation, Monica addressed the airship's crew through the main circuit system broadcasting her voice.

Glancing to her side, most of her fellow navigators had slid on their masks. It was by the Emperor's order that all Royal Guards were to don the grey mask covering their entire face during any military operation. Monica herself wasn't exactly fond of the obstruction, but she knew better than to disobey such a plain command.

One tap of a button under her chin and the grey shield flawlessly slipped over her features, hiding them beneath its burnished exterior. They provided surprisingly good visibility of the outside world despite their unintuitive appearance; which she could almost be thankful for, were it not for their mandatory usage.

Actually, that wasn't totally true. Some special individuals were allowed to participate without wearing the standard mask, albeit most of those cases had their circumstances. Not counting Emperor Lelouch himself, Kallen earned herself a unique Guy Fawkes mask that she had never been seen without. Jeremiah also never wears one, instead, he possessed a cybernetic eye covering half of his face.

That left one person unaccounted for, Lelouch's Japanese maid.

Monica couldn't recall her full name, nor was she too interested in her. It was somewhat strange for the Emperor to one day out of nowhere start bringing his maid with him on multiple occasions, a behaviour the Knight of twelve never comprehended. And all she did was standing beside him, even on military operations such as this one. At most, she sometimes poured him a cup of drink when requested, nothing more.

_Well… some get it better than others._ Even though she thought that, Monica herself hadn't got it too terribly. She was still employed, doing roughly the same job in her field and roughly seeing the same number on her paycheck. Also, she was still breathing, which counted for something.

When she found a fleeting window to sneak one more peek at the Emperor's serene servant on the elevated platform beside the throne, that was when the ship's commanding officer caught her glance in his mystically fascinating eyes. One flash from him was all it took to send goosebumps down Monica's back.

"Dame Krushevsky, status?"

Monica washed down the shiver in her bones through force of will, careful not to mingle a stutter into her report. "Your Majesty, we have visuals on the Toromo Agency now. Bringing it on screen."

The zoomed-in view of a distant facility over the horizon was on open display. Upon closer inspection of the video feed, the tip of the aerial fortress Damocles could be spotted.

"Maintain current course."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Relieved that she didn't incite Lelouch's ire, Monica quickly went back to her duties.

That was when she noticed someone peculiar on the overview screen of her console, something minor at a glance but still required attention.

"—Err… CIC, CIC, this is Bridge, can you check the forward-side GMLS? My monitor here is showing me that one F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead is loaded?" Why would one of the Great Britannia's missile launchers be primed with its most devastating weapon when no order had come down or notifications were passed on, Monica wondered to herself.

"—CIC copies, standby." And Monica did, as an indescribable sense of dread continued to build up inside of her.

About a minute later, the intercom from the combat information center revitalized to life. "—Bridge! Be advised! I have no control over the FCS! I say again! No control over the FCS! Something is remoting my system from outside the CIC and-" Precipitously, the officer on the other end stopped talking, giving just enough time for Monica to freeze in place.

By all accounts, what the CIC was reporting should be particularly impossible. To remote into the fire-control system required the authentication of at least the command duty officer or higher, being Jeremiah at the moment. As far as Monica knew, nobody with the given authority would issue such an order unannounced, leaving only one feasible possibility.

When she dared to take a second glimpse on her console screen, only further horror followed. "—CIC! CIC! Report! I am seeing that the F.L.E.I.J.A. missile is being armed! Can you confirm!?"

"—Ye- correct! The warhead is in arming process. The aiming calculation is also underway! The FCS is targeting… it's targeting the Toromo Agency. Estimating thirty-seconds until firing!"

"—Try rebooting your system. Shut it down!"

"—Negative! It's not accepting any inputs! We've been hacked or something!" Monica could just about replace her unguided fright with distinguishable anger, now that she caught a clear picture of the situation.

They were under attack, by unknown forces with malicious intent and capabilities to carry out their goal.

"Your Majesty, your orders?" Monica blocked out the many voices which followed her initial realization from the other bridge staff. She sought the advice and approval of the king, seeing as the situation was escalating drastically.

"Contact the electrical room, kill power to the CIC." How Lelouch was managing to keep his cool under pressure so flawlessly was a mystery beyond Monica, too bad she didn't have the luxury to entertain such musings.

"—Electrical station, electrical station. This is Bridge, I need you to kill power to the CIC. Acknowledge." Monica ordered over the intercom. Her connection to the electrical compartment was clear, yet nothing came back. "—Electrical station! This is Bridge, acknowledge! …Respond!"

"—CIC, Bridge to CIC. Prepare the F.L.E.I.J.A. Eliminator." Another voice announced over the channel, the Emperor himself had taken command.

"—Bridge. Negative! All systems non-functional. I-I'm sorry, we have nothing. No control, no control! The warhead has gone critical! …It's firing! We have a missile in the air. I say again, rogue missile in the air!"

And that was the accurate truth. From the bridge of the aerial battleship, everyone could witness the flare of bright fiery exhaust bursting out of the back of a cruise missile soaring forward, its size decreasing as its distance lengthened. Just before the warhead became just a couple of pixels on the screen, it renewed its blaze with a streak of harsh pink in its wake, beaming a beacon of devastation on its path towards the final destination.

"Lower the blast shields!" Someone shouted out amidst the chaos on the bridge. Fortunately, that procedure made it in time.

When the F.L.E.I.J.A. landed over the Cambodian facility, when it landed on top of the Damocles, space itself was ever so briefly distorted. Lasting about five seconds until the eruption of pink mist swallowed absolutely everything in its path, leaving behind not even the ashes of destruction in its crater.

Prolonged silence loomed over the airship's bridge as horror-struck officers couldn't do anything except blankly staring forward, looking at the aftermath of a WMD shown on the overhead monitor. Even Monica didn't find the appropriate reaction to the attack, she had yet to properly organize the next step.

"Dame Krushevsky, status?" She didn't hear anything the first time Lelouch called.

"Dame Krushevsky, what's our status?!" Only on the second summon did Monica snap herself out of it.

"-Y-yes, Your Majesty! We're checking right now!" Feverishly, she and the rest of the crew went back to their workstations.

As Monica contacted and reaffirmed with many of the airship's compartments, she barely had a second to review how that was most likely the most intensity she ever experienced working her day job.

"-I've lost contact with the apt-side turret crew! No one is responding!"

"-Grandberry, Grandberry, this is Great Britannia. Status report!"

"-To all escort ships, scan the AO for any airborne threats."

Many shouts of urgency combined together to form an atmosphere of commotion, only professionalism and training kept the bridge from devolving into total chaos.

"Dame Krushevsky, do we have any weapon systems functional?" Over the sea of ruckus, the emperor's amicable voice stood out with a command for the Round in charge.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Forward-side turrets are up, as well as the catapults."

"Scramble all squadrons ASAP. Notify the Escort ships to set battle stations. Their target is the Grandberry." For a hot minute, Monica almost thought she misheard.

"Sir… the Grandberry?"

"Correct. Do it. -And I need a security detail securing the upper hangar, where the Glinda Knight's VTOL is." Regardless of her own confusion, the Knight of Twelve didn't need to be asked twice.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Swiftly, Monica went to pass down the set of orders. "—All units, this is Bridge. Scramble, scramble. Orders are to follow. Cyberpunk Squadron, Lotus Squadron, you have priority, standby at the front."

"—Cyberpunk 1-1 copies."

"—Lotus 1-1 copies." Following their squadron leaders, a wave of affirmation came from the outbound lineup.

It took no time at all for two teams of four Knightmares to be prepared at the two catapults aboard the Great Britannia. Monica could never confess it openly, but having Kallen and Jeremiah in the skies was easier on her heart than if she were to sortie herself.

"-Your Majesty. The Grandberry isn't responding to our hails, but they've launched multiple Chicks." That information would've come as liberating to any normal commander, but Monica was willing to bet Lelouch found himself none too pleased.

"Mark those as Bandits. Krushevsky, have two squadrons plot a course to intercept, the rest will set a perimeter."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Monica replied positively before turning her attention back to her console. "—Cyberpunk Squadron, Lotus Squadron, the catapults are clear, you have green light. Linkup with AWACS Gigabyte." The flashing beacons representing the eight KMFs soon took flight away from the airship.

"—Cyberpunk, Lotus. Your orders are to intercept incoming Glinda Knight KMFs, they're hostile. Weapons free." She heard the AWACS announce. Like before, every pilot in the sky acknowledged the orders which were passed down from Emperor Lelouch.

Monica studied the blue dots on her map diligently. The bigger ones representing the airships and the smaller ones for the Knightmares. From what she could tell, the Grandberry was roughly mirroring the same arrangement as their flagship, sending out a dozen frames towards the Great Britannia.

Although a trifling misalignment of the flight formation on the tactical map was bothering her, she left the correction up to Gigabyte. "—Lotus 1-1, check your position, you're too close Cyberpunk Squad—"

"—Woah- woah! Check your lock-on, Lotus 1-1. You have me spiked. Careful with your—" So very abruptly, the communication from one of the Cyberpunk Knightmares cut off, at the exact same time as his IFF signal.

What had taken place in the split second between the Percival moving out of formation and the aftermath would've been obvious to any bystander watching from the sideline. But to the crew of the Great Britannia, it was so puzzling to the extent that nobody knew how to react to the outcome.

"Kallen…!" By the muffled and staggered shout coming from the emperor, the world around Monica kicked back into motion.

"—Friendly fire! Blue on blue, blue on blue!"

"—Shit-! She has me locked! What's with this bitch—!" Looking out the window onto the vast open sky towards where the friendly fire incident occurred, another explosion could be spotted. "—Mayday, mayday! I'm going down!"

"—Dame Stadtfeld! Check your fire, Stadtfeld!" The more distinctive voice was that of Jeremiah, with a dose of bewilderment and dismay mixed in. "—Your orders, Your Majesty!"

When the Orange man famous for his unfaltering loyalty to the Britannia Emperor asked him for the next step, no assistance came. Momentarily, Monica plucked up the courage to peer at the silent king sitting on top of his mighty throne, hoping to find an answer not just to Jeremiah's pickle, but the entirety of the predicament they had been tossed in.

However, all she could read from the captain's expression was poorly concealed distress.

"—Jeremiah, disengage! Distance yourself from the Percival!"

"—Negative! She's shooting to kill! I can't maintain—!" Another volatile explosion off in the distant sky flashed in calamitous red and slowly yet surely tumbled down in the direction of gravity, the slightly bigger dot of the Sutherland Sieg was crossed off with the four-letter word signalling its destruction.

"…JERRY!" A woman's scream, distraught and traumatized was her tone, breaking the short silence.

"—Lotus 1-1 is hostile. Engage, engage."

"—1-3, watch your six, the Glinda Knight movers are fast approaching!"

"—They've missile lock. Break left, break left!"

"—Gigabyte, updates? We're not gonna last long out here."

Not too soon after, the radio chatter from the survivors of the two squadrons joined the fray in an uproar. Monica tried as she may, but the multitude of fighters outside the window clashing against each other on the chaotic battlefield was too much to keep track of.

"—Do not engage! Lotus and Cyberpunk Squadron, do not engage the Percival. Breakoff, retreat!" An order issued by the emperor himself didn't even have its desired effect on the mayhem afar.

"-Y-Your Majesty! We have confirmation of unidentified assailants onboard! There're multiple cases of friendly fire between the security teams!" Another operator on the bridge revealed additional unwelcomed news, even before the foul taste of the last update had diminished.

"…Marrybell! Where is she? Where is the eleventh princess!?" Lelouch shouted, not bothering to hide his bitter frown any longer.

Just as the captain finished issuing his demand, a very irregular noise started to resonant in the bridge. For a hissing coming out of the ventilation ducts, the sound was exceedingly loud, loud enough to warrant a concerned look at the shafts overhead by many of the crew.

"—Bridge, Bridge! Hostile contact all over the place! Requesting immediate backup!"

From the vents, a cloud of white, condensed smoke poured out. Flooding into the room from every direction in the blink of an eye.

To Monica's painful realization, the mere act of breathing suddenly became intolerably difficult the moment her skin and lungs were exposed to the toxic gas. It felt as if her eyes were set on fire and stung by bees. Her control over her tear ducts was defeated by the burning sensation as she cried and spit on the inside of her mask, weakly slumping down on the deck shortly after.

"It-it's t-t-tear gas!" Over a fit of spasmodic cough, Monica ripped off her dark mask and tried to drag herself up to her console, looking for the controls to the ventilation that was meant to be under her control.

However, amidst the awful cries and wheezes of the crew members. Monica barely perceived the mechanical whir of the doors leading to the bridge sliding open. Her instinctual optimism told her to be delighted at the timely rescue, but what was left of her rational mind warned her that such coincidental help was one in a million.

Whoever it was, they were the ones who gassed the Great Britannia's crew. Monica understood that, except she was too weak and disoriented to act upon that knowledge.

"—Bridge! This's Security team Delta! We've spotted Princess Marrybell en route to you! We're pinned by heavy fire, requesting support!"

Her legs gave out beneath her again, causing her collapse by the console a second time. Her desperate gaze naturally looked up towards the ceiling as the cloudy mist started to dissipate. Beyond the hazy gas were the windows covered by the blast shields lowered earlier, except something about them stood out as quirky to Monica even when she was under some extremely unfavourable conditions.

The blast shields were too reflective; like they were polished to a mirror sheen. Every stream of light to hit those surfaces were bounced back, including an angle on the view of the intruders standing menacingly by the entrance.

It was Princess Marrybell and some incognito soldiers in gas masks. The only reason Monica recognized the royalty was because she yanked off her mask, and a strangely bizarre red glint ruptured from her left eye.

The beam of crimson ricocheted off all the mirror-like surfaces surrounding them, creating a maze of shimmers tapping every corner of the room they occupied. Monica's sixth sense screamed at her to avoid making contact with anyone of the streaks, yet her eyelids betrayed her at that most critical moment.

"-Marrybell mel Britannia enslaves you! Soldiers to the crown, you shall do my biddings!"

— —

**Author's note**

Impossible, this story actually has a plot and isn't just a mess of character drama? Wow.

I'm actually kinda excited to write the following arc with Marrybell as the antagonist, I hope the twist didn't come off as too jarring since I've been dropping hints all over the place. If you really don't like my portrayal of Marrybell's character, sorry about that, but you might not enjoy wasting time with my questionable writing as much for a while.

More of Marrybell's plan will be revealed, but I think it shouldn't be hard to guess what she's really after, with how often I divulge into her head.

My biggest problem with this premise is how Lelouch even allowed any of it to happen. You'll see some explanations in the future chapters, but I'm gonna have to ask you to believe that Lelouch isn't omnipotent and points to him making mistakes in canon as my excuse. I know it's kinda hard to accept that Lelouch can be outwitted, but pls, let me have this one.

Team Euphemia won't see too much screentime in the next couple chapters since I don't want to split the focus between the subplot and main plot, just so everyone knows.

Thanks to everyone who checked out my story, I wanna say that this thing is pretty successful given everything involved. So it really makes me happy knowing that people like checking out my stupid brain spew with Code Geass. So yeah, big numbers good.


	19. Kansas girl goes on killing spree

**Kansas girl goes on killing spree**

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, over the Toromo Agency ruins**

**Ten minutes into Operation Dorothy**

_I've done it…_

Marrybell could almost swear to herself she never slapped on a gas mask faster in her life. Were the princess to act any slower and exposed herself to the incapacitating gas for longer than a few seconds at most, the infuriating irritation and prickling all over her skin would be the least of her worries.

"Are we clear?" Oldrin's crisp voice asked.

"No… no, not yet."

Nevertheless, the most important task was done. Her Geass had taken its effect. If she so chose, it wouldn't be considered outrageous for her to quite literally breathe a sigh of relief as the ventilation sucked away what was left of the tear gas, rendering her mask unnecessary. However, Marrybell knew better than to host an early celebration, not until she held the helm of the empire in her grip.

"-Bridge crew, attention!" Marrybell called out to her subjects from the elevated entrance, many sets of monotonous eyes turned their gazes at her, except the pair she sought for. "Rest of you are on standby, holster your weapons, no sudden movements. Acknowledge."

"Yes, Your Highness." Unsurprisingly, the operators of the airship saluted her. Although their response was rigid and robotic, lacking purpose.

Satisfied, Marrybell was ready to shift her attention to where it mattered. "Now, Emperor Lelouch, please step off your throne and show yourself." Despite knowing it was pointless to politely address Lelouch by his title, it was a habit in her she couldn't break overnight.

The oversized chair favoured by the Britannia ruler blocked Marrybell's line of sight from seeing him directly. If she wanted to improvise, she could've looked up at the tempered blast shields reflecting a concave angle on the bridge, but that wasn't a solution the princess applied. Her eagerness and suspense kept her eyes glued to the back of the throne, expecting a figure to reveal itself from the shadows.

To her surprise, a figure did appear. Albeit it wasn't shaped in her brother's physique, and it threw something at her that wasn't his resignation letter.

"-Get down!"

Before she had time to react, the projectile on a collision course with her nose was parried by Oldrin using the stock of her rifle.

"Contact, contact!" Her aide-de-camp instantly adapted to the smell of war, both hands firmly on the assault rifle and finger on the trigger. The same stance was mirrored to her left by Orpheus. Marrybell's two bodyguards levelled their guns at where they last saw the foe, anxiously waiting for the first, and hopefully the last move from their opponent.

"All of you on the bridge! On your stomachs, keep your heads down!" Marrybell issued a second order to Lelouch's soldiers. They could be used if necessary, but she didn't wish to risk catching her knights in the crossfire or letting someone in charge of navigations get tagged.

"Go left, I'll cover right." Her two pilots closed in towards the throne from either side, expunging what little cover their enemy had one step at a time. It took the recognizable sound of smoke capsules gushing on the floor to escalate the engagement. Another cloud of whiteness erupted from behind the chair and obscured her knights' visuals on their target.

"Smoke popped, go to thermal." Orpheus recommended. He tapped a button on the side of his visor, Oldrin too followed suit. For all the complaints she filed against their oversized goggles, it certainly had some features the noble girl didn't resent.

A couple of borrowed soldiers trickled into the room, reinforcing Marrybell's presence of mind enough for her to check out the object thrown at her. It was a metal dagger. A traditional Japanese kunai, to be exact. Thus, the identity of the culprit became an easy deduction to make, the only noticeably Japanese person regularly seen around Lelouch was his maid. Apparently, she had more than teacups up her sleeve.

The smoke was still thick in the middle of the bridge, inviting the twins to wander into it. It didn't take long for gunfire to rip through the mist, hitting the panels of sheet metal on the walls. Once the shots stopped singing, the clash of blades was next. Each resonance of steel smashing against steel skipped a beat in Marrybell's heart, the worry for her knights was on the verge of overwhelming her sensible logic.

Nonetheless, they were both experts on CQC, Oldrin especially. How those slender arms managed to wield a longsword over half her height in one hand like a bundle of newspaper was unimaginable to the princess.

Bursting out of the smoke, a blurry body was sent flying into a brutal tumble until it crashed against the stairs with a loud thud. To Marrybell's utter dismay, that body belonged to Oldrin.

"-Oz!" The princess reacted to her best friend's loss with a scream. Her compulsion commanded her to check on Oldrin's vitals, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something rushing her way threatening to endanger her own wellbeing.

It really was a maid who threw a wrench into Marrybell's grand scheme, a maid dashing and hopping around like a ninja. She almost couldn't believe it despite seeing the person in action charging her way with two daggers ready. If the young royalty was in the proper mindset and mood, she could've made a quip about the absurdity of Lelouch's servants.

If she was in the mood.

"Blast her! Shoot her!" The Glinda Knight's commander took an impulsive step back, letting her manipulated guards take the brunt of the attack. She inwardly cursed the mask protecting the maid from her Geass, things would've been much easier without it.

All of it transpired in less than five or so seconds. In the time it took Marrybell to draw her sidearm from her holster, the soldiers she momentarily cowered behind were all on the floor in the blink of an eye. Overpowering her instinctual fear and terror, the princess raised her pistol for a shot only for it to be knocked out of her hand by a thrown kunai.

_This bitch is gonna do me in…!_

With nothing left to hide behind and a maid with a vengeance storming towards her, Marrybell wasn't sure what she could've thought to do if she was given the luxury to think, which she didn't.

The maid thrust her dagger just below eye level, likely aiming for the princess' neck. Feeble as she was against an expert of martial arts, Marrybell did all she could to preserve her own life.

She tried to stop the deadly edge with her left hand, and by some miracle, she somehow caught the blade.

It took a few ticks of the clock for her to register, but once it did, the searing sensation of her palm sliced wide open surged through Marrybell's nerves and delivered her the excruciating agony. She almost couldn't bear looking at where the steel and her flesh intermingled. The cascading blood was spouting out of any crevices between her left palm and the knife, painting the dagger and her wrist in a shade of bright red as her blood seeped through her glove.

Granted that she wasn't dead, which was a good sign. Also to add to that, despite having her expression concealed by the blank mask, Marrybell felt confident assuming the maid was taken back. The ninja had lent her a few precious seconds of hesitation, and that was long enough of a period for Oldrin to pitch her assault rifle at the back of the woman's head.

"Marry!"

Her knight blotted to her side, eyes filled with sorrow and guilt staring down at her injury. Orpheus seized the opportunity to subdue their opposition, smacking her onto the floor using the butt of his rifle as she tried to recover and tied her hands up with a strap of cable tie.

"Hey- HEY! Team Butterfinger! I need a medical right away! Hurry it up!" By Oldrin's decree, a second wave of soldiers flooded in from the entrance, many of them were flying the emblem of the Glinda Knights, assuring the princess that her people had successfully conquered a majority of the airship.

"And clear the room, set security." Marrybell added to her XO's instructions, the new group of pilots nodded back and proceeded ahead.

"I-I I'm so sorry, Marry… that woman is- she's pretty strong." Oldrin tried to tend to her wound, clumsily pulling off the ripped glove and wrapping her hand in cloth before a certified medic came over and relieved her.

"It's alright… I don't need all my fingers." The princess wanted to inject a dose of humour to her suffering, but it just came out sounding kind of forced.

"Marry… I-I really… I should've been better, I'm sorry."

"Don't break down now, you can cry later once we're done here." Moderating her emotions, Oldrin wordlessly agreed with a sniff. Marrybell temporarily mulled over the fact that she didn't drop a single tear during what had happened, in spite of the painful cut still lingering under the bandage.

"Orpheus, bring that woman to me." Back on her feet and back to business, Marrybell couldn't spare the time to dilly-dally.

Her Head Knight came over with the prisoner in tow, he kicked her once above the ankle and shoved her on her knees. Marrybell didn't find delight in removing the maid's mask or exposing her suppressed fear upon seeing the Geass user face to face, her brush with death was still too surreal for her to employ mockery as a tactic.

Marrybell keenly studied the Japanese ninja's desperate struggle to avoid linking their eyes as she futilely wrestled against her handcuffs. For a while, they stayed like that, exchanging nothing verbally.

"-Your Highness, the bridge is secure. Your HVT is gone though, there's an escape hatch by the throne." One of her pilots reported for a lacklustre response from the royalty.

"Where is Lelouch?" Coolly, Marrybell interrogated.

"You'll never get him." The maid's answer was a cliché, and an unhelpful one at that.

"Cool. You got anything else you wanna say?"

"…"

"Alright then…" Without a warning, Marrybell jabbed her unhurt hand into the maid's mouth, earning a muffled yelp from her. She dug around a little, finally finding a tiny capsule stuck to one of her teeth and carefully yanked it out.

"Is that a…?" Orpheus couldn't help it when his curiosity leaked.

"Suicide pill, as expected of a ninja. You should've acted faster." Marrybell dropped it on the floor and stomped it into oblivion, defeat and desperation was starting to settle in judging by the maid's countenance.

Marrybell brought her right hand up to her mouth and was about to pull off the sticky glove with her teeth before she realized her mistake. "Oldrin, can you like… help?" Her knight swiftly rolled off her glove from the back, casting it aside as the royalty struggled internally with her charisma break.

"Now, anything you wanna say, for real this time?"

"You'll pay for this betrayal in blood… wench."

"Fair enough, I am now a little bit more scared than I was earlier." Marrybell was missing the energy to play the villain. Otherwise, she would've gladly acted more spectacular. "-Orpheus, if you would."

Orpheus restrained the ninja from turning away and pried open her eyelids. The burning crimson of Marrybell's Geass was set ablaze in her left eye, all that was left to do was connecting their gazes.

Oddly, when she stared deep into the Japanese woman's soul, what she saw beneath the fear and loathing on the surface was a hint of determination and resolve, unlike any of her previous victims who were aware of what was happening.

"Marrybell mel Britannia enslaves you…! And err… ah- whatever." Lelouch had more of a flair for the dramatic than her, or maybe it was just because of how different their Geass functioned.

— —

Marrybell stood before the throne, gazing down at the trapdoor that aided Lelouch's escape. A scraping noise echoed faintly in the back of her mouth, sucking the focus away from her convoluted deliberation. She wished for the annoyance to be over, but she discovered it difficult to stop grinding her teeth in frustration as she evaluated the cost of such a blunder.

"And where does this secret passage lead to? Answer me."

"Exits Are leading to all decks and bulkheads." The feedback she received was short and soporific, but the Geass wielder had grown accustomed to it.

"…Of course it does." Marrybell voiced her vexation, only for nobody to provide her with comfort. "Speak, do you know where he will go?" Nothing came back from the Japanese servant under her spell, as it often happened when she asked a question to which they had no answer for.

_Off to a fucking fantastic start. _The princess heard the criticism of her inner voice. To lose track of the smartest man in the massive combined fleet and the man crowned to rule the world's strongest military so early into Marrybell's betrayal wasn't a good omen. Lelouch was on the loose aboard the airship, and he surely wasn't too thrilled about his sibling's treachery.

Neither was Marrybell if she was to be honest with herself. However, dethroning one brother and killing the other was only the starting line in her sumptuous plot for world peace. The duty embedded in her core she believed must be accomplished by her design, as an atonement for the atrocities committed under her name.

"Maid, markdown where the exits out of this tunnel are. Join up with me once you're done." The Japanese woman said nothing in words and conveyed nothing in expression. She simply left the young royalty's side to fulfill what was required of her.

Marrybell could've sought for a confirmation from Sayoko- which she learned was the ninja-maid's name, but the cold shoulder given by her drones reminded her of the value of genuine intimacy, a factor of life her Geass victims could not replicate.

It reminded her of her own humanity. As often as she was hindered by it, she could not discard what made her alive.

Finished with one chore, Marrybell turned to the rest of her puppets without a purpose. "Bridge crew, recognize me as the new captain. Acknowledge."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Notify all personnel to be on the lookout for the Emperor, tell them to have face protection on at all times. If he is found, report it in and I expect to be contacted immediately. Otherwise, continue your duty as usual. Acknowledge."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Dame Krushevsky, make sure you keep that football safe with you at all times. Give it to me, and only me when I ask for it."

_It's all so stringent…_ Dullness gave birth to a petty grumble floating around in Marrybell's thoughts, only for it to be quickly squashed unless she welcomed for hesitation to fester within her.

"What else we got, update me, 1-1. Is this ship secure?" Marrybell directed her next inquiry at the captain of one of her personal squadrons, leaving the Great Britannia crew to their own devices, limited as they may be.

"Ma'am. The forward section of this airship is secured. There're still some skirmishes on the aft side, but we have it under control."

"What about the escort ships and their birds?"

"Two battleships sunk and two commandeered. The remaining hostile Knightmares refused to surrender, we're cleaning them up now."

"Damocles?"

"Our recon units reported that the entire facility has been flattened, nothing could've survived that."

"Anything I didn't ask?"

"CDO Sherpa said it was pretty cringe and bluepilled of you for getting your hand run through." Marrybell let loose a sulking huff at her officer's cheeky jab, it was in line with how she expected Sokkia to react.

But she didn't hate her for it, she needed people like Sokkia during these discouraging times. She needed that positivity in her life.

"Remind me to feed her some bluepills once we get back." She waved away the Glinda Knight pilot, who took notice and stepped back in line with the rest of the commander's bodyguards.

"I want a squad scouting out those tunnels, take that maid's map and fill it out. I'm going to take a stroll, maybe run into Lelouch somewhere. Fireteam Butterfinger remains here, the rest are with me." All her knights saluted her respectfully, quick to self-assign the roles she demanded.

Marrybell shot one last glance out the windows towards the desolate ruins of the Toromo Agency before heading out the way she came with her posse in tow. The ninja-maid caught up with her out in the hallways as the automatic door slid shut.

"Marry, how's the hand?" Orpheus slipped his way up to the princess. His tone was a mixture of stoic solemnity and gentle concern.

"Feels like you guys did an oopsie." Marrybell joked, or at least she hoped it sounded like that.

Judging by Orpheus' reaction, Marrybell could easily guess he contemplated saying more to the Viceroy but held back whatever it was he wanted to express. To her, the comfort of knowing at least two people in the world still cared for her wellbeing warmed her heart and mellowed out the physical pain. They thought of her as valuable not just for what she was willing to do, instead, for who she was.

"It won't happen again."

"I trust you." Marrybell shined a grin for her attentive knight, letting him know his resolution wouldn't end up forgotten.

"Oh, and, err-" Orpheus snapped himself out of Marrybell's captivating smile, his hand clutching something tightly between its digits. "You should have this back."

Her Head Knight passed a tiny dongle to his liege, no bigger than a finger phalanx.

The technology on offer by the modern era was unbelievably intriguing, Marrybell told herself. To think such a small device, when plugged into the right port it was capable of bringing the computer systems of a massive battleship under her domain was almost too good to be real, but the results were undeniable. Of course, Orpheus had to stealth his way into the command centre and manually perform the sabotage, but that didn't mean what they accomplished together wasn't a stellar feat.

Although, Marrybell wasn't too sure why Orpheus wanted her to have it. "It's Toto's goober, why're you giving it to me? Drop it off at her lab once we're back on the Grandberry, and thank her for me too."

Orpheus froze in place for a good few seconds, and Marrybell did so as well after the realization struck her.

"Marry… Toto is… she—"

"-No, I-I, I know, I… I know. She's… dead, Toto is dead. My tech-geek, my AWACS, my kind-hearted assistant… she's dead." Strangely, Marrybell grew incredibly exhausted despite having done nothing at all. "I… I don't know what came over me, sorry. I'll take that goober off you."

"Marry… are you—?"

"-I'll take it _now_, thank you." Starkly, Marrybell cut off Orpheus before he could word his unease. "I need to talk with the maid, keep your eyes open."

Orpheus reluctantly joined back with the rest of his squad, their focus sharp and their weapons steady as the group protected their leader in the centre. The bits of chatter that escaped from their conversation informed Marrybell of a military operation's tedious nature behind the direct action of its actors.

"Sayoko, answer to what I'm about to ask." Marrybell woke the maid from her stupor, like powering on a computer. She was never sure what zapped through the mind of her Geass victims when they went without order, and she wasn't about to find out anytime soon. "How come my Geass didn't work on you and Lelouch?"

Sayoko didn't reply.

If she had the spare second to cogitate her own opinions on her Geass, surely the princess catalogued the thievery of her victim's personality as a con. Marrybell favoured free yet orderly servants, not mindless slaves.

"Did my Geass hit him?" Nothing. "Did my Geass hit you the first time?"

"No."

"Why not?" Marrybell might not be a genius on par with Lelouch or Schneizel, but she passed her basic geometry courses in Britannian high school just like them. She calculated the reflections of her Geass off the blast shields and was confident anyone looking in any direction other than straight down should have met the influence of her left eye.

"Master Lelouch shielded me and put the mask on me."

"He did…?" The gears upstairs slowly started clunking away. In the depths of her mind, a new tide of puzzles and deductions were waiting there to be conceived and solved.

_Lelouch is smart, he would've seen my betrayal coming… he didn't stop it. Confidence or arrogance? Or maybe he didn't know… until I launched the F.L.E.I.J.A.? We have similar Geass, he knows how it works… then why didn't he prevent the rest of the crew from biting it…?_

The outside world began to fade away from her peripheral as the princess allowed herself to be drawn deeper into her brainstorm. She might never climb to the same apex of wisdom where Lelouch sneered down upon her, but that was no excuse to build a home at the bottom of the barrel.

_Right now… I'm winning. Keep the momentum, move fast and end it. I need to grab him, that's my victory. He'd want to leave and come back with an army, or at least get reinforcement here. If he catches me with a superior number, I'd be done for…_

Marrybell wasn't perfectly pleased with her projected course of action, there were still unfilled holes in her strategy and leaps of logic explaining why Lelouch did what he did. However, the more daylight she burned idling around the place the more ground she'd be giving up, and seizing the opportunity for triumph was preferable over being executed for treason in defeat.

"Talk to me, Sayoko. How many ways off this ship are there? In midair, I mean."

"Taking an aerial vehicle out the catapult or the hangar, and the escape pods."

"So, the standard." Of course, it made sense. At the end of the day, the Great Britannia was still a Logres-class Battleship, it couldn't be retrofitted out of the blue.

_If I am Lelouch… where would I go?_ A gloomy headache was starting to bounce on the inside of Marrybell's skull as she racked her brain, concentrating her efforts to conceptualize a maneuver that could put her ahead. Lelouch had to have some form of a plan, he was too good at hatching plots to go without one.

"Hey, maid. Riddle me this. That green woman who's always with Lelouch, is she his wife?" When the inspiration struck her, Marrybell wasn't exactly proud of herself for devising her idea.

"No."

"But he does care for her, like- a lot?"

"Yes."

"Where is she on the ship? I saw her earlier, she must be here-" The royalty cut herself off to make a small adjustment. "No, wait. Tell me where you think she's going to be. Where will she go in this type of situation."

"The aft hangar. Her Knightmare is stored there." After quite a bit of patience spent, Marrybell discovered a new way forward.

Lelouch, Marrybell's older brother, the Britannia Emperor, all those titles, yet he was still made of flesh and blood. As Zero, the personal aspects of his character were shrouded in mystery. As Lelouch, he enjoyed his every day with affection for his loved ones. The double life he led must have been gruelling and taxing, but it afforded him moments of humanity to experience sentiments and closeness. Zero had no weakness to prey on, unlike Lelouch.

Marrybell would seize her advantages where she could find them, punish Lelouch for his fondness of others. It was nefarious and immoral of her to do so, no doubt about it. However, the princess carried on with her promises of a duty to fulfill. Therefore, if she must exploit her brother's compassion, then she will do so now and feel guilty later.

"-Oz." The commander summoned her two knights, both of them arrived at her side in a flash. "We're securing the aft hangar, Lelouch is likely to be there. Check your map, I'm charting a route right now." Marrybell poked over the smartphone strapped to her forearm, uploading the necessary data to share.

To tell the truth, she felt pretty cool having a tactical tablet instantly available with the flick of the wrist, the pain which came from stirring her bandage notwithstanding.

"Update received." Oldrin replied first, Orpheus too agreed soon after.

"If you see Lelouch, try to take him alive."

"Only try?" Orpheus picked up on her acute choice of words.

"Just… try." Lelouch was of paramount significance to Marrybell's plan, his capture served as an immediate win condition for her campaign.

_Lelouch… we're not so different._

Although it wasn't worth the risk of endangering the lives of her precious Devicers, she had her own weakness she couldn't forsake.

**C.C., the immortal Code**

"Lelouch!" C.C. raced to support the distraught Emperor clambering his way out of the vents. Never before had Lelouch appeared worse for wear than right that moment as she steadied his uneven footing.

The blaring sirens and distant gunfire told C.C. all she needed to know about the predicament they found themselves stuck in. Plus, the soldiers running around barricading the hangar entrances proved to be a fair impression of their debacle as well. Having known her contractor for so long, the immortal wasn't too shocked that he hid a shifty tunnel out of the bridge, granting that she never wished to see him demonstrating the escape path personally.

Lelouch panted groggily, leaning against the witch's shoulder as he wriggled out of his grimy ruler's attire. Under normal circumstances, she would be crying foul to the high heavens for having herself dirtied by the unkept king, but right now was one of the few times she made an exemption. Underneath the baggy white garbs of the Emperor, Lelouch had on a simple t-shirt and pants. C.C. personally didn't hate seeing him in a more modest outfit, and it did make his fuming scowl a little less jarring to observe.

"We need to get you out of here."

"…You wanna talk about what happened?"

"Marrybell… she-! I underestimated how amateurish she can be." Lelouch took the towel lent to him by the witch and wiped off his sweating brow, slithering between the walls of an airship would do that to a person. "Let me rephrase that. Her opening move is so completely illogical and unreasonable, I didn't plan for it."

"Kind of like how bad chess players can beat good chess players by being bad?" Lelouch turned his glance and studied C.C.'s countenance, relatively amused for the disposition he was in.

"I suppose it is like that. If I wanted to usurp me, I'd have obviously done it once we're in the facility, where secrecy can be easily obtained and maintained. If I want Schneizel dead, I can make sure of that on the ground. Because otherwise, starting a military coup three thousand metres above the open sky, where half the country can see you isn't the brightest idea." Lelouch took a breather, pausing his intensifying rant.

"You hate to see it."

"What is she thinking?! We negotiated passage into Cambodia with the UFN, everyone knows we're here! It's so… just so irrational. Given the scenario, should I assume that she manages to kill all of us and makes her way back to Pendragon, her Geass doesn't work like mine. She can't preserve a functional court with her drones. The only way is to forcefully remove the current ruling system and start a revolution, it'll be a full-blown war she can't win."

Ironically, it was almost refreshing to a degree seeing Lelouch so distressed for C.C. To clarify, she took no pleasure in witnessing his discomposure, but it did remind her that even the mighty Britannia Emperor could have moments where he isn't one hundred percent in control.

"I get it, she's a huge idiot. However, let's worry about getting you off this ship safely. We can't stay here. Your troops are outnumbered and won't last forever."

"No, I can't leave yet. I can't let her launch another F.L.E.I.J.A. I need to disarm the ones on board and grab the football from Monica. You- on the other hand, need to get away from here. Head for the closest Britannian embassy, let them know what's happening." Sternly, Lelouch ordered her.

"Not happening. If you're so insistent on staying, then I shall as well." Not less determined, C.C. challenged his command. "I hold the responsibility of protecting you, especially now that… Kallen is…"

"That's exactly why I need you gone. Kallen has value as a combatant, Marrybell won't harm her for no reason." Without missing a beat, Lelouch retorted. Losing of someone he adored and treasured so fondly would've devastated anyone else, yet he still carried himself diligently in retaliation. "However, you can't be Geassed, she won't have a use for you."

"She'll have to get me first, am I someone known to be caught?"

"I found you in a cell." C.C.'s cheek lit up in a sheepish red, that reminder was in poor taste. "Normally, I would trust you. But Marrybell is different. Hostages are only useful alive. She won't threaten me with Kallen or Monica when she needs them to fight for her. The story is different in your case. I cannot imagine what she will do to you to get to me, and I'm sure you won't want that."

"Oh… that's…. awfully considerate of you." Romance would've bloomed in the hectic hangar were C.C. to take a daring step closer, a kiss on the lips was what her benevolent king deserved for his endearment of the witch. Too bad the constant barrages of bullets and explosions repeatedly ruined their mood, or else she wouldn't refuse offering a bit of consolation when Lelouch needed it the most.

"Marrybell has an early lead, but now she's out of tricks. I can take care of her, and I need you to take care of yourself." Lelouch's adamant hold on her shoulders pleaded with her to follow his directives.

"…Such a pushy—" C.C. never got to finish that train of thought, it perished rather abruptly under a wrecked sheet of composite metal as a reddish Knightmare smashed through the hangar bay.

C.C. never really took in just how massive a Knightmare could appear to be. It wasn't to say she didn't memorize their mechanical height and width, because she could spare the space in her hippocampus. Nevertheless, ascending to the cockpit of a programmed robot via a rope ladder was an altogether different experience compared to cowering at the feet of a giant looming over her with its claw outstretched.

"-JESUS! Contact! Hostile armour!"

"It's the Percival! Stay clear!"

"We need anti-KMF weapons! Where're the AP rockets!?"

The Percival's Factsphere Sensor blipped open briefly, giving C.C. the split-second window to drag Lelouch away from where its radiant claw would have landed the next moment. The metallic deck under them was torn apart by the crimson wave of destruction, its energy wave sending the two toppling across the hangar.

"LELOUCH!" C.C. cried out, ignoring her scorched back and brunt outfit. Now was not the time to dwell on her own health.

She scrambled over to the king, desperately digging his ruffled body out of the rubbish. Thanks to her quick reflex, Lelouch was largely unhurt other than a couple of bruises. "I'm fine- I'm okay."

Behind them, the Percival was laying waste to the pitiful number of soldiers still loyal to the crown. C.C. could tell without having to turn around, it wasn't going to be a lasting confrontation, not after the barricaded doorway was blasted open.

"You need to go, now! Get out of here! I'll stall for as long as I can!" C.C. propped up the king under the armpit, hunkering down to keep their visage low while scrambling away from the chaos.

"No! That's not what we agreed on!" Lelouch wrestled against her, but C.C. could output a bit of strength if a push came to shove.

"There's no time, you have to get away!" The ageless witch refused to hear it, she had to ensure his safety before anything else. "Lelouch, listen! Tell me, can you beat her? Can you win against Marrybell!?" Awestricken by her exotic solemnity, the Emperor stopped trying to break free from C.C.'s grasp and steadied his footing.

"Yes." It was a one-word reply, said earnestly and implacable. That did the trick to comfort her trembling heart, to set her resolve straight.

"I'm glad you care for me, I really am. Please, go and stop her. I'll be waiting for you to come back with a smile." If only the fleeing clock permitted her one last kiss, that wouldn't be so bad. C.C. had to make do with imprinting Lelouch's briefly stunned expression in her memory forever.

She couldn't quite catch what Lelouch said as he ran off towards another hidden passage, but she didn't need to be convinced to stand her ground and fight for him anymore.

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

As Marrybell carefully paced across the hangar floor littered with the wounded or dead bodies of Lelouch's masked guards, she stubbed her toes on something particularly stiff. It actually hurt quite a lot, she inwardly cursed.

"Oldrin, use this thing, Killer Queen is taking too long." Her knight's first reaction was confusion at Marrybell's order, but she quickly fathomed what her liege wanted by tracing the tip of her finger pointing at the rocket launcher she accidentally kicked.

Oldrin casually picked up a fifteen something kilogram SMAW and straddled it over her shoulder. She tinkled with it for a bit, most likely checking the munition and removing the safety.

"Backblast check!"

"-Backblast clear."

"Rocket away." Once she finally decided to get down to firing the explosive at the pink Lancelot duelling the Percival, she landed a clean shot on the KMF's torso and blew half of its body right off.

The cockpit's emergency ejection must have activated, or else a sane person wouldn't choose to blast themselves upwards with about 5Gs of acceleration directly into the ceiling.

"Oof…" Even Marrybell winced at the sight of the deformed cockpit. "Maid, you're sure that pilot is the undying woman, right?"

"…"

"Maid, reply." Sometimes, the princess just forgets.

"Yes."

True to Sayoko's declaration, soon after its defeat, the Lancelot's Devicer crawled out of its destroyed control block and dragged her broken body away from the fire licking her mangled limbs. Just as she recalled, the green-haired Code bearer maintained her beauty despite her scaring wounds and ruptured organs, it was a sight so jarring to behold.

_Immortality… but not for me._

"-Clear left!"

"Clear right!"

"All clear, set security." Her Glinda Knights were performing their task just fine, so Marrybell left them to it. "No sights of the HVT, Your Highness."

"Ughhh… not again!" Marrybell groaned. That was a fast way to ruin her mood instantly. Somehow, she was always a step behind Lelouch. She kept removing his pieces, but his king still remained out of reach.

The commander sauntered closer to Lelouch's immortal, swiftly discarding her upset and replacing it with an air of dignified elegance.

"You're Marrybell?" The woman asked, her arrogant tone already irked the princess. She managed to slowly writhe up from the floor, sitting on her two fractured legs bending at angles legs had no business bending at.

"Nice to meet you?"

"I… don't really like you."

"Figures."

And then, out of nowhere, the quashed Code bearer, half-naked and covered in blood, had the guts to pull a gun on her from thin air. Fortunately, her last act of defiance was conveniently squashed by the Percival's radiant claw, just in time to allow the woman one final ear-splitting scream before the cry was precipitously eclipsed by the crunching of her bones.

Although, while her life was preserved and her distinguished aura persisted, Marrybell was crudely reminded of just what percentage of the human body was made out of liquid, for she was drenched from head to toe in the immortal's blood.

"…FUUUUUCK!"

— —

**Author's note**

Man, it's finally getting to the exciting parts, feels like all of my setups are paying off. (Even though it's just mostly asspulls with no thought put into it.) Like the blast shield thing, you just gotta trust it's more effective than it sounds. It's the best I can do, okay. You should know I'm a hack by now.

Again, my number one worry is that my interpretation of Marrybell's character doesn't fit all the time. I'll admit there's bound to be a bit of OOC for a character that's not very widely known, and the research I did doesn't disprove this possibility of her behaviour but doesn't support it that much either. Things like her mental condition and her Geass are canon, but maybe twisted in ways I don't realize. Sorry about that, fellow lore-chads. Like I said last time, this'll be a tough read for anyone who doesn't like Marrybell. (I promise to stop bitching about it after this chapter, but being a bad writer person really gets me.)

I also feel a bit bad for making Lelouch goof up, but if nothing ever goes wrong there'll be no story, will there. He might not appear too much in the next couple of chapters, since he's like the chess player and everyone else are like the pieces or something. I want to keep him secretive so everything he does will have an impact when it happens. Again, the man is just too smart for me to properly write from his perspective, I hope everyone can understand that.

Anyway, thanks to you guys for stopping by. Try not to die during these questionable times.


	20. Smashing Chili Peppers in my Mouth

**Smashing Chili Peppers in my Mouth**

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, over the Toromo Agency ruins**

**An hour into Operation Dorothy**

"~Sometimes I feel like I don't got a partner… ~Sometimes I feel like my only friend- ~is the city I live in, the city of angels~ lonely as I am, together we cry…~"

As the lyrics fluttered out of Marrybell's lips, they sailed under a downpour of hot shower until they arrived at the foggy glasses separating the ordinary outside world from her little slice of heaven. The soothing feeling of warm water coating her bare skin assured the princess of her serenity as long as she never left the bathtub, more and more she was lured into staying within the steamy mist forever.

"…~I drive on her streets- cause, she's my companion, ~I walk through her hills- cause, she knows who I am…~ she sees my good deeds and- she kisses me windy~ I never worry… now that is a lieeee~!"

Inside the showers, hiding behind a single pane of blurred glass, it was the safest haven Marrybell had ever resided in outside of her mother's embrace. However, just like how everything that resembled her mother was now a distant memory, the reason she ventured into Lelouch's private restroom was to wash away the blood of his mistress staining her hair.

To be completely honest, she hated making an enemy out of Lelouch. It wasn't what she preferred, nor was it what he deserved. Making matters ten times worse, she couldn't even trounce him in one swift strike, letting him run rampant somewhere aboard, creating more messes that would hamper her from achieving her final wish.

Lelouch was an excellent emperor, Marrybell had no trouble admitting to it. He was a ruler she could never hope to match up against, that was painfully obvious as well. However, the world had no need for generous kings, the world was in demand for a sacrifice, and that obligation was singing her name from the throne.

"~I don't ever want to feeeel… ~the way I did that day~ -take me to the place I looove… ~take me all the way~!"

She didn't want to be remembered as a usurper to a beloved king. She didn't want to stack the pile of corpses on her conscience any higher. She didn't want to endanger any of her cherished troops in a bid for power. Yet, all of it was something that had to be done, for she was the only one with the foresight to see what must be done.

In spite of all that, Marrybell feared death all the same. A part of her was stuck in an endless scuffle for control over her future, screaming at her to remember the faces she was leaving in her wake, maybe even attending her wake if her body could be salvaged by then.

A part of her thought how unfair it was, seven billion people in the world, and only she was in the position to offer the rest of them salvation from the horror of bloodshed.

"~I don't ever want to feeeeeel…! ~The way I did that DAY~! -take me to the place I LOOOVE~! ~Take me all the WAAAAAY-!" Marrybell slammed her right fist against the abstract tiles of the bathroom wall, her other hand was just about getting sour after raising it over the water for so long. "~…Take me all way~ ayyyy~ yeaa, yeeea- yeah…"

A knock at the door roused Marrybell from her reminiscence, she would have reacted jumpier were she not so dazed in the condensed heat. "It's Oldrin."

"Enter." Marrybell was almost impressed by her knight's boldness, she only lingered outside for twelve seconds before twisting the doorknob.

"I brought you a—" Oldrin froze midway through a sentence, at least she had the decency to be stupefied by Marrybell's hazy figure in the nude after closing the door. "-A change… of clothes."

"You can leave them by the bin."

"…R-right…" Oldrin's awkwardness only encouraged Marrybell's audacity.

"I'm done here, dry me."

"You need help… drying?"

"Do you not see this hand?" The injured girl flicked her left arm over the glass panel rail, giving her preposterous demand a margin of ground. The splashing of water soon died off once she turned off the faucet, lending Oldrin's beating heart the quietness it needed to echo in the washroom.

"Marry, I…"

"Wipe. Me. Down." Teasingly, the princess injected a dose of authority into her drift.

Oldrin instinctively recoiled from Marrybell's assertive attitude, unconsciously mistaking her embarrassment for submission. The skillful Devicer's docility only fuelled the princess' aggression, pushing her to make a braver move. Forcefully, she rammed aside the single pane of foggy glass preventing her body from total exposure. Upon doing so, it became rather apparent that while she was the one naked, Oldrin was the one feeling the shame.

"Are you planning on cleaning me with your uniform? Where's your towel?"

"Err…" Clumsily, Oldrin grabbed a folded piece of cloth from the racks. It took her good couple of tries since her eyes were so focused on somewhere else.

"C'mon now, I'm getting cold. You gonna hang me out to dry instead?" It was rather childish of her, but Marrybell hadn't smirked so genuinely in a long time.

Oldrin held the towel up by both ends, leaning over her slim body as she made an effort to wrap it over the royalty's shoulders. Unfortunately, that was as far as she got before something far more primal within her took over and she crashed her juicy lips onto Marrybell's own.

Greedily, her loyal pilot sucked and licked all over her moist mouth. The caramel-haired deviant's lustful tongue invaded deep in-between Marrybell's teeth and fervidly wrestled her own taser in a pool of drool for pleasure. Lost in the moment, the princess allowed herself to fully indulge in the delicious favour of their passionate kiss until another unquenchable thirst was beginning to boil inside of her.

"My pretty, do you want it?"

"Y-yeah."

"Say it, put into words what you want. Say to me what it is you want done between us." Despite the slipping grip on her self-discipline, Marrybell wouldn't let such an opportunity to assert dominance waste away.

"Y-you really want me to say it…?" Peering up at her with eyes beaming in a flare of yearning, Oldrin really was drying her liege with her attire by how tightly she hugged her.

"Yes, tell me. Speak to me what you want." Oldrin avoided meeting Marrybell's glance, her cheeks were burning brighter and hotter than a shot from the Hadron cannon.

"…I want to tell you that…" Judging by the tempo of their cuddle, Marrybell was sure that this was her knight's last pause before crumbling in her palm.

"Tell me…?"

"The lyrics are actually 'I don't ever want to feel _like _I did that day'."

Feeling like that, Marrybell's character was assassinated.

— —

"Are you… are you- smiling?"

"…No, why would I-" Oldrin couldn't sneak a snicker by Orpheus as she regrouped with the rest of her team, showing no intention of lingering around her brother. "No, I am not."

"Why is your hair wet?"

"Because I… touched water, duh."

"Water- w-what?" Confusion clouded the lower portion of Orpheus' expression, the part not covered by his visor. His head motion darting back and forward between his sister and his commander perfectly demonstrated his befuddlement, too bad for him Oldrin wasn't so willing to share.

"Don't look at her, talk to me instead." Marrybell curbed her Head Knight's curiosity with two or three tugs on his sleeve, dragging his attention away from Oldrin's shrinking silhouette. "Do you like Red Hot Chili Peppers?"

"Like- the band?"

"Yes, of course." Marrybell's most hated pepper was jalapeno, she reminded herself.

"Yeah, I'd say… I enjoy their music."

"Favourite song?" Orpheus contemplated his pick from a wide selection of tunes and the princess observed his subtle attempt to whistle or a stealthy rhythmic tap of his foot, all hints of a deeper cultivated young man beneath the mask.

"It's cliched, but I'll have to go with Californication. The CGI music video… that was pretty funny."

"You wanna know what your sister's is?" Orpheus thought he was being given a choice, incorrect. "It's Under the Bridge."

"That's a solid pick."

"…Sure is."

Having arrived at a conversation's natural conclusion, the two teens mutually flirted with the notion of respecting the value of silence, interspersed by short whistles of melody from Orpheus. How Marrybell wanted to cherish this fascinating minute of harmony, how she tried but failed to ignore the residue of gunpowder in the air after every breath as she quietly sang.

"~Destruction leads to a very-rough-road but it also breeds creation~ and earthquakes are to a girl's guitar- they're just another good vibration~ and tidal waves couldn't save the world from Californication…~"

Her peace and solitude were broken all too soon by the call of duty approaching the fleet captain with a formal salute. "Your Highness, the green woman has recovered." One of Marrybell's many masked Glinda Knights informed her.

"…From getting minced to gibs by the Percival?"

"Would you like to see the cam footage?"

"Did you watch her come back?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How was it?"

"Absolutely disgusting." Marrybell made her pause for mulling very deliberate.

"…Then be sure I see it." The female pilot offered an acknowledgement in a light-hearted chuckle before leading the way to where the Code bearer was kept, Marrybell and her security detail ensured they were never too far behind.

— —

Marrybell treasured her own life to a certain degree, as most normal humans would, but never overly so. She believed herself capable of bidding the realm of the living goodbye if some of her conditions were met; such as sacrificing it for a peaceful tomorrow. Or if death was looking to be the more preferable outcome on the table, such as facing torture and humiliation at the hands of her enemies.

"…Are there times when it sucks not being able to die?"

"Plenty."

"Like right now?"

"Hardly."

C.C. put on a condescending smirk Marrybell had come to associate with Lelouch's sorceress, smouldering her scornful glare in a sardonic sneer. It must be rather tedious to always be keeping up her charade comes rain or shine; the princess found herself relating to the immortal's need for a façade.

Marrybell circled around the cross C.C. was crucified on, for lack of a better word. Bound by the straightjacket the woman favoured as a fashion trend, she was confined by many leashes of leather to a standing stretcher with her arms spread wide. Thanks to dipping her toe in the pond of supernaturalism, the princess understood exactly how important it was to keep a Code bearer restrained and spared no expense doing so, not that money was an issue to ponder over.

"How long have you been alive?"

"Long enough to know it's none of your business." It was natural for prisoners to be uncooperative, Marrybell begrudgingly accepted that fact.

"Then I must apologize, how can I forget the rudeness of asking a lady her age." Marrybell faked a cough to break the tempo. "Allow me to ask something else instead. Where is Lelouch?"

C.C. rolled her eyes to the back of her head, her blanch sclera acted as a symbol of disrespect to her captor. "Apology rejected."

"Don't make things so difficult for yourself." Wary of the circle she paced around C.C., Marrybell was cautiously attentive to the tiniest twitch coming from her prisoner.

"I honestly don't know what you're expecting." C.C. shook her head, just not overly so due to her constraints. "You have nothing. Not a single thing to hold over me."

"Give me Lelouch… so that I don't have to _kill_ him to save the world."

For a fleeting second, C.C.'s detached gaze flashed a blistering glow as the royalty and the immortal forged a connection through a formless contact. "Keep dreaming, little princess. That's the most you can do."

"I have the means to end our era of warfare in a definite… and elegant manner. Lelouch strives for the betterment of our world via generosity and kindness, but he lacks the drive! I am she who can make that ultimate sacrifice! Because unlike him, a life of luxury has yet to mend my aching wounds."

Skeptical of Marrybell's credence, the Code bearer sighed in discontent and tedium. "…Yawn."

"You're testing my tolerance, C.C., realize that I do not—"

"-You really just love listening to yourself talk, huh? Afraid to let you know your voice isn't as precious as you're deluding yourself into believing." Rudely, Marrybell was interrupted. Every instance of enduring C.C.'s derision was akin to shovelling piles of coal into a steam engine, the fuel boiled within her temperament, threatening to overflow.

"…" Marrybell said nothing outwardly, on the inside she was absolutely seething having to put up with the attitude of the immortal.

"I care for naught whatever scheme or plan you have devised in your folly attempt at world peace. In fact, I care not for world peace in the least." C.C. said, speaking in a lecturing tone she didn't earn. "If you want to hear anything from me, hear this. Surrender now, you still haven't done anything we can't forgive. You have acknowledged your king's generosity, partake it whilst the offer remains, lest you seek to confront his wrath."

In response to C.C.'s suggestion, Marrybell gathered the strength in her unharmed arm and backhanded her across the face.

Gleaning by the older woman's expression, Marrybell wouldn't be terrible off the mark were she to assume C.C. was taken back; and by taken back she meant mildly surprised to be slapped. "Your funeral, princess. Or we might feel extra spiteful and parade your body in the streets, it's a coin toss."

Wanting nothing more to do with the irritating Code bearer, Marrybell traced her steps out of the interrogation room and sealed the door behind her.

— —

_I forgot my meds on the Grandberry. Shit… fucking shit- shit…_ There was never a proper time for her mental ailment to make a resurgence. Marrybell didn't even feel like cursing her crippling illness when it introduced itself at the most inopportune hours these days.

"—4-2, follow my laser, seven O'clock, does that look like a Bogey?"

"—Errr… that's a negative, 3-4, it's just scraps. You need to chill out a bit, AO is confirmed clear."

"—3-4 copies. Sorry about that, just a little on edge. Doing what we're here to do and all."

"—That's the way it is, 3-4. All for the greater good, for Britannia."

"—3-4 copies."

Absentmindedly, Marrybell pricked up one ear to the idle chatter of her pilots patrolling the airspace outside the Logres-class floating battleship. Somehow, it was comforting to eavesdrop on her Glinda Knights assuring each other the validity of their mission. Not to forget her own credit, that was the way she trained her soldiers, brave and vigilant, loyal and obedient.

"-DuckTales, got your coffee, we looking at anything?" Setting foot into the combat information center commandeered from the Great Britannia's crew, Oldrin leaned over the Glinda Knight officer and glanced at the multitude rows of displays streaming information to their AWACS.

"Realzies? I was having a laugh about that, cheers." The operator swung back and snatched her drink, a wide smile going from cheek to cheek.

"Yeah, yeah. Now do me a favour and knock Aerosmith squadron off the comms. Don't need them nagging in Her Highness' ears."

"Crystal, I was just taking a fancy to their tosh, no factor." DuckTales reached for the knobs, prompting Marrybell to finally interject.

"No, no. This is fine, I enjoy this… hearing this."

"…As you say." Obeying her leader, Oldrin lurched over to a large monitor under scrutiny by her princess perching on a rolling chair, zealously studying the map as she unconsciously scratched at the scabs forming over the edge of her nasty wound.

"C'mon, Marry, stop that." Oldrin gently slapped away Marrybell's digits in the self-harming process.

"What- what?"

"You're peeling at your cut." Waking from her daydream, Marrybell had a delayed reaction to her unnoticed inclination.

"Oh… but it's itchy."

"You're not a kid, let it heal."

"It's gonna leave a scar…" Marrybell guessed, almost saddened.

"It won't ruin your beauty. I think you'll come out of it looking more badass, in fact." Cozy arms dangled over the royalty's shoulders, Oldrin softly nibbled at the upper ridge of Marrybell's ear, letting the flow of her balmy breath breeze through her ear canal.

Marrybell felt herself drifting into the pleasure of Oldrin's bosom, into an endless sea of warmth and indulgence. Deep down, it was exactly what her heart cried out for, to be swaddled in her knight's embrace, in her loving affection.

However, the captain carefully yet firmly shoved away her blonde ace, they were at the wrong place and moment to coddle in bliss.

"Oldrin, report." Her stern manner shook Oldrin out of her daze, clearly redrawing the line in the sand between profession and pleasure.

"…Right. Yes, Your Highness." The Deceiver didn't resist or resent her commander's demand for personal space. "Frankly… the man's a bloody ghost, Marry. Orpheus' team searched every inch of this ship, all of the secret tunnels. He's nowhere. We don't have the manpower to totally flush him out, not without compromising security."

"How easy it is for me to say 'you didn't search hard enough', Oz?"

"Very."

"Then I shall say no such thing." It would be too easy to simply blame her troops for Lelouch's evasion, but Marrybell was above being an incompetent leader.

"He won't slip through our net. We'll nab him the second he tries to make a getaway. The comms is monitored as well, he'll never get a message out." Oldrin laid a hand on the Viceroy's shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze. "Emperor Lelouch is done, Marry. Your victory is at hand."

"Is that confidence or arrogance, my pretty?" Marrybell challenged her aide's fortitude, it was up to her if she could sustain it.

"I… believe in us, I believe in you. The world is meant to be shaped by your touch. The people are meant to be saved by your love." This wasn't what Oldrin should be declaring, not the Oldrin who stood as a symbol of justice.

"I am supposed to be an evil witch, my pretty."

"Then I suppose Dorothy doesn't have a bucket of water handy this time."

Marrybell applied two fingers to the bottom of Oldrin's visor, shifting it upwards and exposing her emerald green irises. As if staring into a portal leading to infinite possibilities, the young sovereign imagined how wonderful a life together with her companions she could've experienced were she given a fair shot at happiness. What was robbed from her could never be refunded, but if it could at least motivate her to leave behind a better world than what welcomed her, that would be enough to satisfy her ambition.

_On death's door… am I?_ Yet, somehow a part of her lusted after more than contentment, it sought to take for herself what she deserved.

However long their gaze was interlinked, it couldn't last forever. "C'mon, let's get back on task."

"…Right, we still need to track down your brother." Cutely smacking Oldrin on the cheek, Marrybell scooted out of her embrace and slid her chair to where a radio operator was keenly observing all inbound and outbound transmissions for the airship.

"We picking up anything unusual, 0-5?" Marrybell snuck a peek at the radio operator's many screens, too bad she understood almost none of them.

"Negative, Your Highness. If the HVT attempts to contact anyone anywhere, you'll be the first to know. Well, technically you'll be the second- no, maybe third, depending on who he's transmitting to."

"Very encouraging, dearie."

"If he could just give us a ring on the telly, that'll be delightful. Wait- is that right?"

"Telly is television, numskull." Oldrin corrected her subordinate, winning herself a round of mild chuckle in the CIC.

"-Ain't-cha a cheeky bugger, 0-5! Trynna appropriate our tongue?"

"Shut up, DuckTales! Oh-oh, I mean… oi, piss off, you twat!"

Amidst lighthearted teasing and joyful laughter, Marrybell almost forgot what the purpose of her mission was. It was just too easy to lose sight of her endgame in the company of compassionate souls and warm companionship. The good time could easily last forever if the princess was able to fool herself into ignoring the journey she demanded of herself to traverse.

But she could never do that, and thus reality soon caught up. "-Hold on, guys. Quiet it down! I'm picking up an illegal signal here…" Sternly, 0-5 interrupted the chatter.

"Where is the origin?" Oldrin inquired in a similar serious tone.

"Somewhere… aboard. But it's transmitting to… the CIC- right here?!" The radio operator's inaudible gasp caught Marrybell's full attention. "Your Highness! You should take a look here."

The transmission was fizzy at first, a sign of poor signal quality, likely obstructed by the unorthodox location of the unicast and the Glinda Knight's scrambler preventing long-range communication. Once the quality of the feed was replying to an acceptable level, Marrybell almost wished it remained unintelligible for a bit longer.

_Damn it…! Always one step behind!_ On the screen was a view of somewhere interior on the airship, somewhere dimly lit and narrow. Taking up the majority of the space was the one and only Britannian emperor, not nearly as fretted as he should be for being a hunted man.

"—Kept you waiting, Marrybell." Despite a thin layer of dirt daubing over his face and plain outfit, Lelouch still maintained his unchallengeable dignity and poise as a magnificent king.

After receiving a green light from 0-5, Marrybell spoke into the communicator clipped to her ear. "—Not at all, brother. I'm simply glad you decided to present yourself. Care for a bit of teatime while we discuss your terms for surrender?"

While keeping Lelouch occupied on the line, Marrybell garnered the attention of her radio officer with a quick flourish of gestures, expressing in a wordless language. Through hand signals, the royalty asked if she was on camera like her brother, her answer was a solid 'no'.

'Trace him, I'll keep him talking.' Reading the words from Marrybell's dancing fingers, 0-5 understood her message and quickly went back to work.

"—You have run this farce for long enough, sister. I shall still accept your surrender were you to yield now, or else you will rue the day you constructed this grand scheme of betrayal." Lelouch leaned a bit closer to the camera, his expression of disapproval was coated in superiority.

Marrybell sucked in her lower lip, tenaciously grinding it between her teeth. Nobody in the Imperial family could accept a defeat gracefully, that was to be expected. "—C'mon, Lelouch! Let's not flush our precious seconds down the drain over worthless pride! You've lost this one! Come out from your hidey-hole to save me the trouble of calling the exterminators!"

Lelouch waited a bit before responding, letting the moment linger and giving the princess a short recess to cool off. "—What is this victory you so seek, Marrybell? Usurp me… and you can achieve what? Where is there peace to be found amongst the battlefield drenched in the blood you spill?"

"—You should know, Lelouch! We've spilled blood for the same cause! There's no peace to be relished, no salvation to be savoured without putting an end to our cycle of hatred! You've done what you can, brother, high and mighty on top of your throne. Let me handle the rest, to remind you of the suffering you've forgotten."

Her rational self knew it was futile trying to persuade Lelouch into seeing from her point of view, to relinquish his position of power which he rightly warranted. However, Marrybell wasn't above being a sensory woman, if it was possible, even if marginally, she wanted to convince the Emperor to understand how alike they were at the core.

"—There's nothing you can do to better the state of being for the people, certainly not by starting another war."

"—Then this is to be the war that ends all wars."

Again, Lelouch chose silence as his immediate reply, allowing Marrybell to enact her true objective as the radio operator informed her of her brother's location under the deck near the bridge. Marrybell stabbed a finger over her tablet, transferring the call to her phone for mobility before she gathered her troops to track down the elusive king.

"Ready it up, we're moving out." Oldrin echoed Marrybell's unspoken order, leaping to her feet with her rifle slung over one shoulder. "-Oreo 2-1 to Butterfinger 1-1. Possible location on the HVT, forward-side Bridge, we're coming to you."

Insulating her earphone mic from the swelling racket in the background, Marrybell irritably listened for Lelouch's counter-argument on the other end. "—Do you believe us to be similar of origin, Marrybell?"

"—And motives! Are we not quite literally cut from the same cloth!? Propelled by our father's negligence, by our heritage's acrimony; we take up arms in opposition to the system's oppression!" Marrybell may have lacked the opportunity to take action as Lelouch did in his rebellion, but that didn't make her discontent any less pure.

"—That's wrong. You're incorrect, sister." Lelouch rejected the young princess' assertion. "We're no more kindred than apes are to humans, to compare us is to make a mockery of the very notion of recognition itself. It's a disgrace. It takes delusion and conceit, added on top of foolishness to come to that conclusion."

Lelouch's abusive affront to her belief almost staggered Marrybell's trek, she was stumped for a response as his stare pierced her from across the screen. "—W-why would you- you have no right to say that to me! You!"

"—I have forged an army out of insurgents, a nation out of fantasies. Starting from nothing, from zero, I climbed out of the pits of depravity and claimed the Britannian throne. In contrast, without backing from the system you say you hate; without support from the father you insist you detest, you have achieved nothing for yourself." Accused Lelouch, leaning in ever so slightly closer to the camera, making his presence so much more overwhelming with a simple movement.

Discourteous slanders coming down from the king himself cut deep, especially when it was interlaced with snippets of facts the princess couldn't deny. A stake of humiliation and contempt drove itself through Marrybell's fragile spirit, flooding her sentiments with cowardice and anger.

"—Everyone can find determination from their last night's dream. Everyone can cheer with the crowd whilst listening to a motivational speech. But are you someone capable of inspiring people to dream for a world you've envisioned? Or can you speak your mind to the masses without a pre-written script?"

"—I-I can! I have done so! I have my achievements to be proud of!" Marrybell felt like a sore loser for jumping to her own defense, but there was a limit to how much shame she could endure in one day. "Don't you dare discredit me like so, Lelouch!"

"—Without our father, there would never have been Glinda Knights. Without your heritage, you would have remained insignificant."

In spite of all his allegations, Lelouch wasn't too far off the mark. For too long Marrybell was a mindless doll trampling over others for the sake of fulfilling a falsified ambition. When her father's Geass wore off by pure coincidence, she still couldn't let go of her established might, let go of the Glinda Knights built on Britannia's wealth. And that brought her here, deposing the Empire's ruler with his own endowment.

"If you were worthy of this, Marrybell. You would've been the one to put down our father." The corner of Lelouch's lip bent up, a disdainful smirk. "As things stand, you don't even know why he is who he is. Why he did all those things to us, to you."

_He's… he's not wrong. I'm not… I'm no hero._ Marrybell's rationality reminded her of traits such as humility and reason, but her instinct and mental instability opted to feed her unadulterated rage instead.

"—I… I'll make you fucking eat those words with a bucket of bullets, LELOUCH!" Screaming into her earpiece and glaring daggers at her wrist-strapped device, a portion of sanity had abandoned Marrybell.

Marrybell pumped her fist twice in the air, the hand gesture for double time. She hasty broke into a sprint, a storm of footsteps behind her quickly kept pace. Ironically, some of Lelouch's taunts were starting to slip her by in her fury-fueled rush to reach him, only after they had already taken their effect.

Barely remembering to mute her microphone as she burst into the bridge, Marrybell grabbed the nearest member of Fireteam Butterfinger and demanded her prey's whereabouts. "Where is he!? CIC should've tracked him by now!"

Frightened, the ill-fortuned Glinda Knight timidly pointed at the hatch where Lelouch initially disappeared from.

Far from level-headed, Marrybell made the charge to unlatch the floor panel and dive down into the tunnels, but Oldrin seized her by the elbow before she could commit to such a foolhardy attempt all for the sake of her ego. "He's gotten to you, Marrybell."

"He's-! He-! He's clowning on me! I won't stand for it!"

"Get him outta your head. Slowly, breathe, relax, collect yourself." Calm and composed, Oldrin gently massaged Marrybell's shoulders, careful not to press down too hard on her injured side. "We'll take care of it."

Somehow, the sight of her beautiful knight's demeanour always managed to ease and subside Marrybell's sickness. She was her most precious medicine. The royalty wouldn't be exaggerating if she professed that her life depended on the brilliant Devicer.

"…Okay… alright." Recalling her elegance and nobility, Marrybell consented the continuous stream of air flowing through her lungs to pacify her restless aggravation. "I… am I worthless, Oldrin?"

Narrowing her eyes for a short second, the caramel blonde wholeheartedly studied her liege's countenance before lightly slapped Marrybell's pinkish cheeks. "Only when you're sulking around. Now c'mon, forget about what he said. Sit this one out, I'll drag him up for you."

"Do me proud, my pretty." Oldrin replied with a reliable nod. Leaving one last pat over Marrybell's forehead, she proceeded to work.

"-I want this rat hole cleared out, obviously it wasn't done properly the first time. There could be boobytraps, lead-in with a swarm of drones." Oldrin issued her set of commands and keenly oversaw their expeditious implementation.

_Some commander am I…_ Barren of purposes that couldn't be performed by her troops, Marrybell uselessly ambled over to the stairs leading to the entryway and plump down on her butt. Fumbling to refocus her wits on where it could be of use to her effort, the orange-haired captain woke her smartphone from its slumber and was once again greeted by the unimpressed frown of her half-brother.

Lelouch apparently also employed the patience of a saint as one of his attributes, observable by his inclination to wait for Marrybell's response after the interval of silence she imparted to their debate in her hurry to subjugate him.

Marrybell fidgeted with her mute button, flipping it from on to off. However, as she did so, she realized she was emptied of jibes for her brother. All she had left was the uncomfortable awkwardness that often loomed over the atmosphere after a sour fight the day before, and despite all that Lelouch condemned her with, she still held onto her respect for him.

"—… Lelouch… my plan will work. If you'd just let me explain—"

"— -However much you hope to pretend such a case may be your version of reality, it's inevitable the blinders you call inspiration will come loose eventually." Marrybell was more floored than insulted by what Lelouch said. Instead of coming off as another denunciation, his sentence just didn't make any sense.

"—No- what? What're you even talking about? I wasn't done—"

For the second time in a row, Marrybell was abruptly interrupted. It almost sounded like Lelouch had no interest in letting her participate in their conversation. "— - In lieu of your absurd plan, I can offer naught but a deplorable laughter to my dear sister. Have you any consideration of what somebody might—"

"- —Sooome~BODY once told me the world is gonna roll me! ~I ain't the sharpest tool in the sheeed~!" It was her turn to unexpectedly cut off Lelouch, the princess bestowed herself the honour as she yelled.

Marrybell's disruption appeared at a completely unjustified juncture of Lelouch's speech, tagging along was a chuck of discordant singing to boot. It was bound to evoke a reaction of some sort out of anyone sensible, somebody like the Emperor.

However, Lelouch totally ignored her outburst and continued talking, what he was saying became instantly irreverent.

"AGRHA—!" At the top of her lungs, Marrybell screamed, any pitch louder and no doubt her vocal cord would have ripped itself to shreds. _Curse him…! That Lelouch! It's a goddamn recording! How dare he play me like this…! Like a child-! Like a fucking IDIOT!_

On the tip of her tongue resurfaced the awfully familiar taste of defeat, pungent and bitter. Through her frustrated howl at the sky, Marrybell had to wonder how she kept snatching defeat from the jaws of victory like some ridiculous version of a Scooby-Doo villain. Her deeds were meant to carry weight, her actions were supposed to have grim consequences.

"Oldrin! He's not there, it's all a trick!" Stumping a path over near the throne where Oldrin tinkered on a laptop in a pile of electronic gadgets on the floor, Marrybell clenched her jaws tight to seal the leakage of her abhorrent disgust at herself.

"Our drones almost reached the transmission point, what's going on?"

Briefly, Marrybell choked on her words, unsure of how embarrassed she should be for letting herself be outplayed. "He- I was never talking to the real Lelouch, he predicted what I'd say and recorded it."

Oldrin contorted her features to form an indescribable expression. "He can't be _that _smart."

_Then am I just that stupid…?_ Her self-assessment didn't cure her looming feeling of insecurity.

Nevertheless, she couldn't allow herself to become a blundering fool so obtuse that she would wallow around in her pity and doubt instead of improvising a method to vanquish her disadvantage. _Don't let him get to you, think of a way out… think of what a smarter person would do._

Marrybell turned her gaze over to Monica. More specifically, to the briefcase chained to the Round's wrist. The F.L.E.I.J.A football, it was called; within the container were all the necessary tools for the Emperor to launch the WMD from anywhere on the planet. When she first revisited the bridge, she made sure the suitcase was still firmly cuffed to the mind-controlled knight, and now she made sure of the same thing again.

_Without Lelouch, that thing is a toothless tiger… and he'd certainly like to de-fang me._ That left only one potential vulnerability in her takeover that the monarch would like to exploit by driving her into his trap.

"Oldrin, contact CIC."

"…Contact CIC and?"

"Just to see if they're still there." While uncertain of her design, Oldrin obeyed regardless.

"—CIC, Oreo 2-1 to CIC. Requesting status update." The call went silent, not a peep of sound. "—CIC! Respond, CIC. Come in!"

Physical pain was imparted upon the human body as an instinctual warning to stay away from harmful factors, but Marrybell's sense was so numbed by her ire that she couldn't notice the tip of her nails digging into her palm, where the bandage was meant to protect. Crimson blood spurted from the reopened wound, trickling down her sleeves to her elbow and dripped onto the floor.

"He's after the missiles… CIC doesn't have enough security. Send a team now." Marrybell squeezed a single sentence through her gritted teeth before the inner storm of her madness smashed against the shore of rationality, eroding them away with every splash.

"Marry- Marrybell! Stop that! Don't hurt yourself!"

"GO! Get someone to check CIC! Orpheus- anyone! GO!" Oldrin flinched at her princess' forbidding ferocity, it was a side of Marrybell she seldomly illustrated even under the direst circumstances.

"—Oreo 2-1 to KitKat 1-1 actual. Potential compromise of CIC, investigate immediately." Oldrin pressed on her earpiece as she talked to a squadron leader on the other end, trying to ignore the pressure of Marrybell's scrutinizing glare. Breathing down her steadfast knight's neck only served to add a blend of contrition to the pink-haired royalty's brew of emotions, how desperately she sought to flip an imaginary switch in her head to pour it out.

While Oldrin was busy organizing a team to follow Marrybell's order, the princess herself remembered a much simpler way of confirming her dreadful suspicions as she strode towards the Knight of Rounds' station. "Krushevsky, show me an overview of our F.L.E.I.J.A inventory."

Monotonously, Monica swiped a finger over the touchscreen, quickly bringing up the relevant listing Marrybell inquired. _Yes or no. One or zero. Did he fuck me or did he not?_

One peek ended up being all it took to learn the truth, although digesting what felt like another slap across the face also ended up being a hard pill to swallow.

"Damn it… why can't I WIN…! WHY!?" Furiously, Marrybell slammed both fists down on the control panel, painting a whole half of the keyboard on the left in a fresh coat of vermillion fluid. The stabbing pang came back with a vengeance after the adrenaline temper wore off, forcing Marrybell onto the floor as she clenched her injured hand, streams of tears flooding out uncontrollably.

Lelouch sabotaged the Sakuradite used to fortify the F.L.E.I.J.A, exposing the volatile mineral to the neutralization composition of its Eliminator, rendering the entire stockpile of warhead aboard the airship nothing more than millions of wasted Pounds.

_I'm so fucking screwed…! _She lost a vital trump card to her own ineptitude, an ace in the hole squandered without ever entering the board.

"Oldrin! Where's my security team! Give me something here!" Witnessing her downright self-torture, Marrybell's aide-de-camp rushed to her side in sheer panic.

"M-Marry- Oh-my-God, Marry! W-why're you doing this to yourself!? P-please just- just…" Oldrin's hands quivered frantically, unsure of how to deal with the tremendous amount of blood straining Marrybell. "-Medic! I need a medic here ASAP! Hurry!"

The panicking Devicer shouted a command to the surrounding pilots, but she was interrupted by the princess' iron grip clasping her cheeks, forcing her to focus on her two orbs illuminated by hostility.

"Update me!" Regaining restraint on her trembling frame, Oldrin obliged.

"F-Fireteam KitKat is en route, one minute. A-and err- and…" Oldrin glided her digits over the PDA on her wrist posthaste, looking for any news Marrybell couldn't afford to miss out on. "There's also… wha-? Bogeys…? Impossible!" A pause in confusion. "Marry, there are reports of KMFs taking off from somewhere on this ship, they must have an undisclosed hangar!"

"How many?" Marrybell dragged herself up to the console half covered in blood, a combat medic worked to re-bandage her hand as she typed away.

"At least a dozen, maybe more! We don't know who's piloting them."

"Intercept them, shoot'em all down."

"But- they could be our—" A horrendous glare from Marrybell shut down any of Oldrin's complaints. "U-understood." Her vice-commander conceded, saying nothing more to her liege.

Marrybell almost missed the tainted glance of concern briefly glinting from the corner of Oldrin's eyes as she tapped on her device to establish a connection with Grandberry. "-Oreo 2-1 to AWACS Road Runner. DuckTales is offline, transferring all guidance control to you. Pass on the following order to all airborne units: destroy all Bogeys that just launched from the Great Britannia. I say again, all Knightmares that just took off from this airship are Bandits, neutralize them."

The infuriated captain patched herself into the comms of her knights, the damage done by her ignorance had taught her an unforgettable lesson. On the encrypted channel, Marrybell overheard the Grandberry AWACS notifying all her units of the updated mission perimeter, soon followed by a ripple of acknowledgement.

_No cost too great, Lelouch. _Outside the windshield, a flight of Knightmares swooped down toward the underbelly of the Great Britannia, leaving behind only nebulous contrails as proof of their existence. The pilots of the recently airborne enemy frames could very well be Geassed members of Marrybell's own crew, but she couldn't afford the luxury of rescuing those without the capability of self-preservation.

"—They're shooting at us. Those movers are fair game. Aerosmith 2-2 engaging."

"—There's one on me! I can't- I can't shake'em!"

"—Relax, 3-2. Your bum is covered."

"—C'mon, hit…! Alright! Aerosmith 1-3 splashed one Bandit."

The aerial combat continued as flickering triangular symbols on Marrybell's monitor, dashing and racing across the screen as she typed many sets of commands to be enacted on by her troops. It was expected that her handpicked knight should be capable of holding their own against a rogue unit, one that was meant to serve as bait.

A vulnerability had naturally formed in the defense ring enclosing the floating airships, a weakened sector where her forces were sparse and openings were abundant. Marrybell lacked the manpower to plug up the broken formation, a factor that Lelouch surely considered before he sent his forces to the battlefield as a distraction.

It went without saying that Lelouch was painfully aware of where her encirclement found itself lacking. Now, whether he would choose to utilize the opening and make his daring escape was an altogether different question. And also, if the jeopardy of death could deter him.

_Run if you dare, run if you so dare, brother._

And to her mild surprise, he did.

"Marry, we have an unknown signature taking off from the aft at high speed, presumed KMF. Referencing the database now." Oldrin informed the princess of the same data she taught herself off the overview map on the console.

"It's the Shinkirō." Marrybell unceremoniously stated.

"…How can you be sure?" A puzzled Oldrin wanted to ask more but was interrupted by mumbles in her earpiece, transforming her character from bewilderment to amazement. "We just confirmed it, it's the Shinkirō."

The slick black Knightmare was scudding away from the aerial arena, not a care in the world for what Marrybell's pilots threw at it. The pink shield protecting its rear deflected away all munitions fired to hinder its escape, seemingly having no troubles disappearing into the vast sky.

_Let's hope this works…_ Marrybell whispered a silent prayer. _Lelouch is only human, he can't be invincible._ With her inclination for worry tucked away, she made a call. "—It's all you, Killer Queen."

From within the dense clouds in the Shinkirō's path, the Percival ruptured its vapour shroud and darted for the transformable Knightmare. The Shinkirō managed to block a point-blank blast from the Radiant Wave Surger, sacrificing a portion of its shielding to shake off the crimson claw.

It wasn't an elegant or brilliant plan, rather stupid, in fact. But if it worked, then it isn't too stupid.

Two Knightmares dashed and juked, engaging in a lethal dance against the blueish backdrop of the overcast sky. However, piloting a command unit unsuited for close-quarter combat, Lelouch couldn't last forever when the close-range Percival and its aggressive pilot gunned for his neck, especially if he couldn't bring himself to kill his beloved Round.

It only took one slash of the glowing talons from the seventh generation KMF hitting home to bring the inflight strife to an anticlimactic end, tearing through the Shinkirō's pink shield and digging into its vulnerable armour. Lelouch was forced to eject from his burning Knightmare unless he welcomed the impending explosion swallowing him whole. The cockpit block followed the pull of gravity downwards until its parachute popped open and glided it to a bumpy landing.

"Splashed! Destruction of the Shinkirō confirmed." Oldrin sounded downright relieved, and Marrybell couldn't help but absorb a part of her solace.

_Please, please just fucking die, Lelouch. I'm so tired of your shit._ Marrybell sighed, noting herself to ensure that her brother's downfall is made permanent. "—Killer Queen, confirm your kill."

Marrybell was by no means exuberant to order Lelouch's death, but after bearing witness to his ploys and tricks firsthand she wasn't letting him exit stage left only if he felt like it. Besides, she somehow doubted she could ever enjoy a full night of sleep again if she didn't make sure the Emperor won't be taking his revenge.

The Percival decreased its altitude, maintaining afloat just above the treelines of the forest and hovered over to where the cockpit landed. Holding her bated breath, Marrybell watched through the Knightmare's forward lens as it approached the final resting ground of Lelouch's escape attempt. When it came into clear view, the Percival descended further and landed.

However, that was as far as it went. For unexplainable reasons, the Knightmare froze still in the middle of the forest, accumulating uneasy turmoil in the heart of its observer on the capital ship's bridge.

"—Killer Queen, identify the occupant of that cockpit block and eliminate him. Acknowledge." When Marrybell demanded a reply recognizing her command, only meaningless static answered. "—Callsign Killer Queen! Kallen Stadtfeld, respond!"

Apprehension and fear were creeping up from the pits of Marrybell's stomach. When Kallen's voice finally connected, what she said validated the princess' dreaded hypothesis.

"—No… no, no-no… oh God, I-… NO! L-Lelouch! Lelouch- Lelouch! Please- no, NO! LELOUCH!" Kallen had broken free from Marrybell's spell, at the worst time imaginable.

"C'mon… give me a fucking break with this shit!" Had Oldrin not seized her arm, Marrybell was going to swat her injured hand onto the keyboard for the second time in a dozen minutes.

— —

**Author's note**

Wow, the longest chapter yet, gonna have a very short AN this time. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. This's kinda my ideal structure for a chapter, starting off calmly and ending with a bit more intrigue. I really tried to make Marrybell a sympathetic antagonist for this arc, showing many aspects of her character to make some readers care a tiny little bit about her, hopefully I'm somewhat successful.

Quickly replying to Masquer Q's review about Lelouch goofing last chapter: Yeah, man, I can't defend myself on this one. Sorry again for ass-pulling a bit that one time, the sibling's relationship will be explored more in the future so that Lelouch trusting her doesn't feel so jarring, but it's what it is.

Thanks everyone for checking this one out, try to have a good time these days.

Thanks to Marche V for correcting a spelling error.


	21. Cool guys walk into explosions

**Cool guys walk into explosions**

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Near the Toromo Agency ruins**

**Two hours since last contact**

Kallen could never recall any of her nightmares. She knew for sure she had experienced waking up with a tremor and a spook, hazily remembering the chronicles of a dream too far gone. those weren't too infrequent in her twenty years on this earth. However, she never, not even once leaped out of her bed in unfathomable fright and ragged temper, with her bedsheets soaked in a cold sweat and the residue of her scream still echoing in her bedroom.

That had never happened to her.

Bringing it back to the present-day, that was why she wasn't sure if a waking nightmare was the appropriate term to describe what she felt riding inside the Percival. Nothing else ever came close to matching the absolute fear and terror she imagined could only happen in the land of dreams, not in the least alleviated by the numb sensations returning to the tip of her fingers glued to the twin joysticks.

Never before had Kallen truly unravelled the degree of sheer abhorrence which was the foundation of Geass' methods, never before did she understand how completely frightening it was to be enslaved by its clout.

For the incessant duration after she fell for Marrybell's elaborate trap, she lost total control over her flesh and her actions. She was reduced to an observer immured in her own body, trapped beneath her skin while the princess subjugated her mindless husk to serve her treasonous ploy.

Kallen tenaciously grappled at her faint sanity, finally regaining control over her physical form after its subjugation against her will. She broke out of the stupor caused by her irredeemable undertakings, imploring her consciousness to register her environment and her condition.

"-LELOUCH! LELOUCH!" When she finally was back in it, Kallen screamed at the top of her lungs, ignoring the fact that her king wouldn't pick up her cry inside the cockpit.

She couldn't count how long her horrid howl lasted for, only that it was eventually interrupted by the fizzling white noise from her earpiece and the detestable voice which ensued shortly afterwards. "—Kallen, dear… you just gotta pick the worst possible time to lose your shit."

In the next possible split-second, the fear of Geass was instantly evaporated by a brand-new emotion of pure hatred boiling to the top of her head. Marrybell made her sabotage the airship's function, made her kill her fellow pilots, made her kill Jeremiah. It was unforgivable, she was used as a dirty rug, played like a fool.

And worst of it all, the one thing that crystalized her explosive wrath to a deadly focus was the aftermath which laid before her. The destroyed Shinkirō and its ejected cockpit in shambles at her very hands, Lelouch's life jeopardized by her incompetence and Marrybell's betrayal.

Although for the moment, she planted the blame solely at the feet of the perpetrator, the girl with the gall to still contact her.

"—You're FUCKING DEAD! DEAD! You BITCH! I'll rip your head right off your fucking neck, MARRYBELL!" Kallen bellowed at the expressionless princess displayed on her monitor, not a sliver of remorse to be found.

Kallen yanked her mask to the side, putting her twisted scowl on display as she jerked her sticks downwards, landing her Knightmare next to the commanding KMF's cockpit. She wanted nothing more than to pummel Marrybell's face into a bloody pulp, to watch the light fade out of the princess' eyes as she chokes her life away. But coming before her frenzy was the Emperor's wellbeing, and unlike her fantasy for revenge, Lelouch's life was undeniably in danger.

"—Not one step farther, Kallen!" Marrybell's genuine threat somehow managed to halt Kallen's step. She glanced up at the Viceroy's video portrait and saw her presenting something exceedingly alarming. "—Remember this? Remember what you had for lunch?"

In Marrybell's hand was a remote detonator, modern and slick. It flashed back muddied memories to the forefront of Kallen's thoughts, reminding her of her past deeds under the Geass' power.

"—Don't make me do it. We both know I won't hesitate." Marrybell threatened seamlessly, merciless and cruel.

Under Kallen's seat was a plastic bag containing a cardboard box that used to hold fried chicken bones, but instead got replaced by a brick of C4 at Marrybell's behest. The princess made her rig her own Knightmare to blow at the press of a button when she was subdued, a contingency for this exact potential hazard to her plan.

"—…You're so gonna regret ever being born, your heartless, backstabbing bitch! I can't believe I ever took a cunt like you for a friend!"

"—Say anything that makes you sleep easier at night." Marrybell spent no extra energy refuting Kallen's accusations. "—If… you still want to sleep tonight, you'll disarm yourself and come back aboard. Otherwise…"

Kallen painstakingly eked out a jagged grunt between her gritted teeth, barely containing her endless billowing rage under a half tore veneer of rationality. A deep breath later, she carefully pondered all of her options, putting all her gathered knowledge on combat tactics and prowess into consideration. Only to come to the unavoidable conclusion spelling defeat in her face.

The battle was lost, Kallen couldn't brute-force her way out of this one.

_Damn it! This's fucking BULLSHIT! It's so unfair, so fucking unfair! If only I got a Geass or some shit- This's all my fault… FUCK! Fucking Marrybell! I'mma kill that two-faced whore!_

There was nowhere to go except for strictly following Marrybell's order, one wrong step would result in a fiery death for the Round. Kallen had no doubt the treacherous usurper held no quandaries about pressing down on the detonator in a split if as little as a hair went out of line.

"—…Fine… fine, you fucking bitch, I surrender! Don't do anything rash!"

"—Where's my 'please'?" Kallen almost choked on her disgust, the image of Marrybell's slightly smug smirk put her fuming temper on the edge of complete eruption.

"—Go fuck yourself!" Her unadulterated hatred seeping through the transmission wiped the smile off Marrybell's mug, inviting the young princess to click her tongue.

"—Just get rid of your weapons and come back here. I still need you."

Begrudgingly, Kallen expelled the Percival's claw and tossed its rocket shield pod to the ground, disabling the weaponries she couldn't discard. She slowly took off for the airship overhead, keeping a keen eye on the monitor with Marrybell's video feed.

"—At least tell me why you did it. What can you dream of gaining from doing this!?" Kallen asked, her brow furrowed and her palms sweaty.

"—You can't possibly understand my motives."

"—Not if it's so far up your ass! You honestly think you're so big-brained that the shit you pull will end up meaning anything? All the death in your wake will be all wasted!"

Marrybell narrowed her gaze in bemusement or deliberation, her expression rapidly flashed through a range of emotions. "—You know nothing of my sacrifice, nothing of beauty! I shall be she who put an end to our decaying era and welcome a brand-new zeitgeist for the world! The next generation will lavish in decades of peace and prosperity, never knowing the horrors and tragedy of war."

It took no time at all for Marrybell to become engrossed in her own demented raving, her utterance ridiculous and her guise ludicrous. Maybe it was Kallen's submissive attitude and the princess' helpless absorption in her delusions, but the Viceroy lifted her thumb off the denotator's trigger without a cognisant effort.

"—Use your imagination, Kallen! See what I see! The death of ten thousand is a necessity!" Kallen reeled in her urges to spit on her screen where Marrybell's face flickered, she didn't want to lower herself to that woman's hollowed depths.

Marrybell was sick in the head, so messed up to the extent that even a blind man could see it. Yet she somehow was able to keep her excessive glamour intact, holding onto her charisma without breaking into an outburst of insanity. Kallen supposed that was how psychopaths operated, hiding beneath a façade of normalcy was their unchecked madness.

The lone knight had ascended above the forest now, roughly twenty to thirty metres off the ground. Marrybell's fervent speech on eugenics, genocide and whatever droned on with no breaks in sight. What actually mattered to Kallen was how tightly she held onto the detonator looming over her impending death, she made sure to keep that highlighted in her peripheral at all times.

At the exact moment that Marrybell's attention was briefly diverted, Kallen made a break for it.

"—Kallen! Don't you dar—!" The rest of her captor's sentence got blown out by the roaring wind travelling at forty miles an hour storming around her open cockpit.

Kallen betted her survival on a perilous gamble, pitting her skills and reflex against all odds. As her pilot seat slid out from the cockpit, she had absolutely no spare second to calculate all the finesse details which were involved with jumping out of a moving Knightmare. She aimed for the closest treetop and braced for the leap, hoping her trajectory won't be too far off the mark.

As she kicked off the Percival's metallic armour like a springboard, that was the exact instant Marrybell decided her death was more preferable to her escape, granting her maybe milliseconds to condemn the princess' dedication to her promise of violence and her cold-hearted callousness.

Kallen wasn't fast enough, she simply just couldn't outrun the inferno.

Immediate, authentic and downright excruciating was Kallen's realization of doom. The scorching fire of a horrifying chemical reaction surged after her at the speed of light, consuming everything in its short path until it enveloped the audacious pilot from feet up.

The burning pain was immense, so grievous that Kallen had never felt anything like it in her life. It was as if her body was being melted down to the bones, despite the protection offered by her crimson flight suit against the flame and shrapnel swallowing her body whole, the touch of death had clearly landed on her flesh. A mortifying scream in a frequency she didn't believe she was capable of escaped her throat, loud enough to faze out the sound of the combusting Knightmare, at least in her head.

As the flame caught up to her, devouring her entire body in its charring blaze, an insufferable touch was ripping into her left cheek, pressing her mask up against her face as it deformed under the blazing heat and broken into shards by the metal scraps crashing into it.

It was only until her nerves were burnt to total numbness, that was when the inferno hawked her out onto a tumble downwards into the treelines.

Her lingering cognizance begged her to react, desperately grabbing for anything her limbs could reach. She snatched a couple of branches on her way down, but the momentum of her fall snapped off the logs instead of halting her descent.

Kallen's wounded body crashed down with a wimpy thud, landing on a pile of leaves and bushes. Her insensate impulses gradually returned to the forefront of her mind, reminding her of her vitality slipping away due to the countless injuries she sustained. She tried to move anything she could still feel, but no part of her wounded physique responded.

_Dying… this is dying? _Without a doubt, she was about to meet the Grim Reaper in person, its icy touch washing over her.

Her blurred version darted across the grass, hoping to catch glimpses of anything that could save her. To her surprise, she ended up not too far off from Lelouch's cockpit. The dirt trench plowed during his landing was still fresh, as well as the folded parachute next to it.

Kallen summoned all the strength she could muster in her broken body, commanding it to inch closer to Lelouch in any way she could. As she pitifully crawled over the soft soil powered by nothing but anger and regret, she was confronted by the exact magnitude of her own weakness and failure.

_Please… please be alright, Lulu_. She didn't ever recall wanting to address him by that nickname, but for some reason, it jumped out at her fading consciousness.

The last bits of her perception picked up the noises of two Knightmares flying overhead, increasing in volume until they came into view over the clearing above. The machines of war strafed the location of Lelouch's ejected block, riddling the compartment with ordnance until there was nothing left but dust.

That was the final recognizable impression registered by Kallen's awareness, before fainting into a slumber she wasn't sure whether she would arise from.

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, over the Toromo Agency ruins**

_Get blown the fuck out, Kallen._

"—Metallica 4-1 to Road Runner. That was good effect on target, returning to regular patrol pattern."

"—Nicely done, 4-1, 4-2. Continue patrolling." The report of her tactic airstrike was in, and Marrybell's AWACS acted on her behalf as the deliverer of her instructions.

"I want eyes on the ground, someone go confirm that kill and recover Stadtfeld if she's still alive." Marrybell said, expecting the order to be passed down starting from her vice-commander next to her. _How did she even break out of it, what an annoying bitch._

"Marry, we don't have the… the thing is-" Oldrin munched on her lower lips, stumbling over unleashing her words. "Our mission time is critical. We can't linger around here any longer."

"Mission time? How long have we been here?"

"We're seventy-two minutes into this operation. At this rate, we're risking encountering local first responders in another ten." There was always that something, always that one thing raining on her parade.

Marrybell moaned loudly, voicing her dissatisfaction. "What if he's still alive? What if he somehow got away?"

"The Shinkirō's cockpit block is on screen this whole time, it never opened. If Lelouch is in there, he's dead." Oldrin talked fast, flying by the keyword in that sentence: 'if'.

"I can't rest without seeing his body!"

"And you won't see anything except for crisp ashes! Use your brain, Marry. We shot at him with 30mm cannon and hadron blasters, there's no body to recover."

"What about… any word from the CIC? Could he still be aboard?"

"The CIC staff are all gone. We have to assume that they were the rogue units from earlier. There're no signs of a firefight, he must've done it through his methods." That meant more casualty on her side, more lives lost to her cause.

"Jesus… did he slap their visors off their faces or something?" Oldrin provided no feasible hypnosis to that inquiry. "DuckTales… 0-5…" Marrybell didn't know her operators that well personally, all she could do was match a name to a face. Yet, somewhere inside her still stung knowing she couldn't keep everyone on her side safe from harm.

"I'm sorry, Marry. But we need to move on, we can't stay here."

"You…" Marrybell directed a sobering glare at her precious knight, but Oldrin didn't falter. "You're… right. We don't have time. I'll miss them later." Lacking the evidence to ease her burdened heart, the princess turned to rely on her best friend's claim instead.

_You better hope you're dead out there, Lelouch. Because this is a grudge I won't forgive or forget._ Was her bitterness towards her brother hypocritical? Possibly. But then again, so was she.

"We've already wasted too long here. Let's stick to the timetable, or this entire operation is toast."

"Call it in then, you're half a commander, don't forget." Tiredly, Marrybell teased her knight, the mental fatigue from scrutinizingly deliberating her every scheme against the intellect of her brother took its toll on the princess' vivacity.

"—Oreo 2-1 to Grandberry. Operation Dorothy is progressing into phase two. Pass the order down to set sail for Pendragon." Having decided on a new course of action when her aide was planning out the next step, Marrybell patted Oldrin on the back to signal her withdrawal.

"-Wait, where're you going?" Naturally, the protector grew curious about her liege's destination away from the bridge.

"I'mma roll on Lelouch's bed, seeing if I can nap this headache away. You have executive authority over this operation, lovely. Do your thing."

"…Don't overexert yourself snoozing." The last sight Marrybell saw of her guardian was a helpless expression and slouched shoulders.

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Somewhere mobile**

**Sometime later**

The muted humming of a gasoline engine, the frequent bumps sparingly lifting her aching back off the seat, a whiz of flickering lustre constantly dashing past her sealed vision; they were all hints of herself on the move. Irksomely, Kallen woke up in humility. The first ping to resonate across her body was the pinches of subdued injuries, everywhere she could feel.

Kallen tenaciously peeled open her eyelids, tetchily greeting the harsh sunshine of a damp forest beaming in from the jeep's tinted backseat windows. In the centre of her eyesight, a largish fluff of pink focused into view.

The Knight of Ten blinked away her drowsiness, meeting the gaze of Anya pointing a black sharpie directly over her face.

"…Good slept?" Anya tilted her head, twirling the marker away when her ingenious prank failed.

"W-where…?" Kallen managed to ask a question, inducing Anya to brainstorm a reply.

"…Hey, you. You're finally awake… you were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

The pink-haired girl's dry, toneless humour ended up being funnier than Kallen wanted to admit. She tried to laugh, but only a parched cough came out.

"You got me again… Todd Howard. Y-you can't keep getting away with it." Kallen played along despite the withering pain in her throat. She tried to lift herself up from lying on the backseat but found all of her strength had abandoned her scorched figure.

"Relax. Don't get up."

The young girl planted a palm on her shoulder to lay her to rest. The physical contact upon her skin conjured up a new discernment of a foreign sensation over a portion of her body, inviting her to bring a hand up to her face. However, Anya caught her slow movement and pinned down Kallen's swathed limb, disapproving of her actions with a headshake.

"Don't mess up your bandage." Her fellow Round settled her back down, meticulously avoiding landing a touch anywhere cloaked in whiteness.

"I-I'm okay… I'm okay." Kallen reassured the Mordred's pilot, coming to terms with her fragility that she only prayed to be temporary. "Thank you…"

_It really fucking hurts… but at least, I'm still around._ If she lived to see another day, she was in for another fight.

"How- how long… was I out?"

"Three hours since I found you, don't know how long before that."

"Why… are you here?"

"Stationed outside your AO, as reinforcement… maybe. AO went boom, I wanted to provide support, but didn't receive any orders. I drove in to investigate… here I am." Kallen wasn't in the right mindset to care too much about the logistics behind Anya's presence, not when she was the only friendly face she saw since the mess started.

"Anyone else… alive?" Kallen held onto Anya's delicate hands with all the strength she could muster, the petite pilot returned a firm squeeze.

"Jeremiah is here." She pointed to the driver seat where the back of a tall adult was steering their ride.

"Jeremiah… oh- thank God… I-I'm so sorry… it's all my fault."

"Nonsense. You're not to blame for Princess Marrybell's betrayal. None of us possessed the clairvoyance to foresee such an occurrence." The cyborg briefly turned around and offered Kallen a thin smile of absolution.

"Are you okay…? I gunned for you pretty hard."

"The Sutherland Sieg contains a regular Sutherland and its ejection system, I made it out just fine." Relief overtook Kallen upon the realization that she didn't commit a mistake she could never undo.

If that was the worst failure of her career, she understood she will never live it down. If only that was all she did. "But… but Lelouch… I-I… I couldn't stop myself… he… he might be…" Kallen couldn't get the word out, she couldn't stand bearing the weight of her misdeed.

"Before that, let me tell my story." Jeremiah redirected to a less unpleasant topic, if only by a little. "After I landed, I was at a loss for what to do. I knew your action wasn't willful, meaning it must be the effect of a Geass. Unfortunately, the range of my canceller cannot reach that high up in the sky. So, I bided my time and waited, helping out our ejected pilots where I could."

Kallen apologetically listened, unsure of what Jeremiah was implying. "A while later, I saw in the sky the Shinkirō attacked by the Percival. It wasn't winning against you, but its path took it closer to where I landed. I assumed you'd be told to chase down the cockpit after it ejected, so I followed too. That was when I realized it was all a part of his plan, putting you near where I should be."

"And you… undid the Geass on me."

"Yes."

It took a strenuous effort for Kallen to perform the most basic of bodily functions, such as breathing or blinking. Even so, she still tried her utmost to reply with an awestruck gasp. Since admiring Lelouch's absolutely incredible intelligence and foresight cost her nothing.

"So he planned for all of this… that means he must be—!" In her haste, the red-haired ace choked on her words, fretting her stoic caretaker.

"Mayhap. Once I freed you, I recovered the Shinkirō's flight recorder. Have yourself a listen."

On cue, Anya presented a tablet before Kallen, one with a cable plugged in its charging port connected to a hard drive. Kallen gave her a short nod of approval, gracious for Anya tapping the play button.

From the muted speaker, a miraculous voice rejuvenated Kallen's spirit. "—Okay… I'm hoping this message finds its way to either Cyberpunk, Lotus, or even Snapshot, preferably all three. I'll briefly explain what happened, and what to do if things go as planned from here on out."

"—Current time is fifteen thirty-two, September 17, 2018. Roughly… an hour and forty minutes since Marrybell launched her coup against me, and- errm… I expected her to do something similar, but not to this scale. I was ill-prepared for war. Or maybe… I just didn't want to doubt her."

"—Marrybell… she is my sister… and not a bad one at that. I wanted to believe her, I thought she was different from the rest, from me." Lelouch from the past sounded sombre like Kallen would've never believed, rivalling him at his worst. Just lending an ear to his dejected tone put her sentiments on the brink of tears.

"—Her plan is nonsensical, but her opening move- speaking strictly strategically, was well-played. We took heavy casualties, including Kallen, Monica, Sayoko and most of my soldiers, both aboard the airship and my ground troops outside the agency. C.C. is most likely compromised also. Jeremiah… I believe him to be fine, in fact, this plan depends on his survival." Lelouch took a pause, likely reorganizing his thoughts.

"—If things worked out perfectly, Kallen should've been recovered. But proceed regardless… even if she's not with us." Through the transmission, a bit of static and background noise hid the gulp of Lelouch swallowing a lump in his throat. "—You need to warn Pendragon of an impending attack. That's most likely Marrybell's endgame, I'm certain she's after the throne. But not through your phone, those are linked to our compromised flagship. If you're detected, it's over. Don't risk exposure."

"—You need to reach a Britannia Embassy, inform them of the situation and have them contact the capital and the UFN. There exists a possibility that my sister has indoctrinated the embassy staff to her side, but I believe the risk of that is low. The detailed instructions are in the text file, make sure it is followed to the letter." A cold bead of sweat dripped down from Kallen's forehead. She could only pray that Lelouch's prediction would be on point to mend their situation.

"—Marrybell's attack in Cambodia will be seen as an act of provocation. Toromo Agency belongs to Britannia, but not land around it, we don't want them involved. You should have at least one Knightmare operational, her forces should be gone by now, but still stay low until you reach the embassy."

"—Once the message is delivered and your safety is ensured. Do what you can to rejoin the battle. Marrybell won't wage a war she has no chance of winning, she must have an army capable of toppling Pendragon. They'll need your help." Lelouch spoke nothing more after the last line of direction, leaving Kallen baffled and anxious.

"Is that- is that it? Is he okay? He's not in the cockpit, right? Where is he!?"

"Keep listening." Jeremiah advised, returning Kallen's silence.

"—In the case that… this message does not reach its intended recipients, then… well, that's not good. If you're the only one listening to this, Marrybell. Congratulations, you may have bested me. You are unsure of my survival just as I am unsure of your true intentions, I suppose you have the determination to shed an ocean of blood for your conquest, if you win, you can claim your victory proudly."

"—What I said in the other recording is a lie, only to rile you. I believe you can be a fine Empress. See to it that you are. Otherwise… well, otherwise you'll see." That was when the tape cut off, the timeline of the audio track at its end.

"We don't even know where he is…" Kallen muttered, dejected.

"I checked the Shinkirō's cockpit, inside was a Glinda Knight soldier. She committed suicide before I reached her." Jeremiah added his tidbits about Lelouch's whereabouts, and that added a slice of hopefulness to their bleak setting.

"If the Shinkirō was the bait, then he must still be on board." Kallen said what she hoped to be true, the least worst-case scenario. "Marrybell got C.C., Lelouch is alone up there…"

"We must hurry if we're to prevent the destruction of our capital."

"…Yeah, we have to." Sternly agreeing with Jeremiah's assessment, Kallen painfully understood just how useless it was to lose her wit over Lelouch's wellbeing. _He's alive, he's alive. He's not me, he has never failed us before._

"So, what's our plan then?" Kallen inquired, finally regaining the strength to prop herself upright.

"Once we get out of this forest Anya can take the Mordred to Phnom Penh, she'll notify the embassy." Without taking his view off the wheel, Jeremiah replied.

"Great, great. -You take care of that," Kallen addressed Anya, who nonverbally accepted her duty. "And err… the two of us can head for the nearest airport, grab a jet and get back to Britannia."

Her impulsive proposal didn't earn the endorsement from Jeremiah like she anticipated. Peeking into the rear-view mirror, the cyborg spared a portion of his focus to perceptively pierce Kallen with his stare. Likewise, Anya's body language evinced her disconcertment, an exotic feat.

"I'm taking you to the nearest town with a hospital, we'll stabilize you and get you to a proper institution for treatment." Coldly, spoken like a parent dismissing their child, Jeremiah revealed.

Deep down, she knew it was to be expected. It was the proper procedure. "No- no, not happening. It's not necessary, I'm still operational. This is nothing." Kallen intuitively rejected the notion of her curtain fall, she wasn't about to let herself be written off without accomplishing anything.

"You suffered severe blast and impact injury to several parts of your body. It's not something to just walk away from. You need to be hospitalized if you want to fully recover." The Knight of Ten didn't like where the conversation was going, she didn't enjoy being told what to do, even if it was for her own good.

"It's not your decision to make, Orange! I can still function. You heard what Lelouch said, I have to be there!" Kallen leaned forward, letting her body rise with her passion. However, the instant she tried to get a grip on the front seat, her aching bones gravely protested that movement by sending a shock of jarring pain down her nerves.

"Your face… it's messed up. You need treatment." Joining the protest, The Knight of Six beseeched.

"I know what's happened to me! It doesn't matter how messed up I am, Lelouch needs my help!" As someone famous for riding on her emotions, Kallen at the moment cared naught for the condition of her wounds.

"Treatment… or you'll be disfigured."

"-Wha- what…?" Stuttering in shock, Kallen was unready for her dose of reality-check.

"I did my best… but I'm no doctor. Your left cheek is badly burnt, a piece of your mask stuck in there."

The second time Kallen tried to touch her bandaged face, Anya didn't hamper her. "…No, that can't… I can't be…"

Small circles of dampness manifested under her bloodshot eyes, pasting the thick layers of bandage to the brunt skin over her cheekbones. Except for a thin slit across her eyes and her unkempt hair sticking out between the folds, all of Kallen's head was shrouded in rolls of cloth covering her sullied appearance from its humiliating exposure.

"Looks like Harvey Dent, Two-Face. You want to see?" Compared Anya, involuntarily savage.

Kallen couldn't find the correct choice to make in a position she never found herself in, but Anya took her stupor for a tacit consent. She flipped on the front camera of her phone and presented it to the Round, letting the mummified pilot witness for the first time her appearance as the younger girl undid the bleached fabric.

Kallen didn't dare to gaze into a reflection of her spoiled allure, but her sight was too lost in the pit of devastation to turn away.

"No… my- my face… I-I can't be- this isn't real…" No vocabulary in any dictionary could be conjured up to describe the utter misery and despair which poured down over the Knight of Ten.

The pristine beauty of a maiden in her prime was deformed by blasting fire and melted plastic. Pots of blistered crimson dyed the surface of her left cheek, valleys of charred flesh snaking across her face mimicked the skin tone of a dried and buried corpse. A small fragment of her mask, a fragment of Lelouch's gift to her, was carving into her flesh, nestled up against the inside of her mouth on the verge of puncture.

_I… I'm ruined… I-I'm… _Kallen wasn't sure if she would ever scavenge the courage to look into a mirror again.

"Don't cry… please, don't cry. It's fixable. We have the technology to heal you. Facial reconstruction surgery, it can be done." Anya struggled to console her friend, her lacking self-expression lessened its effectiveness.

With diffident fingers quivering at the minutest motion, Kallen took hold of the wrappings and reapplied her bandages. Layer by layer until her hideous presence was once again hidden under the dense coating of latex dressing. When she was done, only silt for her sight and strands of her vermillion hair tinted in a charcoal black curling out of the strips persisted outside.

"This… changes things." Kallen tiredly muttered, overburdened by the absurd violence trampling her identity as a woman.

"Please, seek medical assistance. Please, you can be healed…" Anya tugged frailly, doing her utmost to speak the language of friendship she formed with Kallen.

Conflicted were her intuitions, confused was her decision. "If this was only up to me… I don't care how blemished I get. Lelouch's safety is more important than anything else in the world, more so than my appearance."

Kallen spoke her unweaving conviction, the unmovable resolution she lived by. "However… I'm responsible for more than just Lelouch's life, I'm also responsible for his happiness. So I don't wanna disgust him with an ugly-ass girlfriend, making him feel guilty for what happened to me or something. That, and… fuck, man- I don't wanna look like Two-Face."

"Then… will you get help?"

"I'm gonna have to… just not at some ghetto-ass Cambodian hospital." Kallen found her word-choice almost insulting, and just a bit comical.

"What's your plan?"

"I hate to do it, but we gotta spoil our buddy Suzaku's vacation."

**Britannian Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia**

Their trip consisted of driving by Jeep, transferring to a Knightmare, low-altitude cruising, and a little bit of jogging to finish up the mechanical triathlon journey. Too bad Jeremiah was forced to be excluded from the ride in the Mordred, mainly due to his bulker build and the lack of breathing room. He agreed to drive his way down to Cambodia's capital, travelling the conventional but suboptimal path.

Leaning on a chair in the Phnom Penh embassy' conference room, Kallen impatiently waited for the consulate staff to examine the thorough unofficial edicts from the emperor delivered by the Knight of Six. Sometimes a random peep from the employees would be caught by the taller Round's perceptive scrutiny, only to quickly look away, finding safety behind their laptop screen.

"M-ma'am, please… relax your body." A nurse attending to Kallen politely requested, her voice mildly trembling under the pilot's unreadable gaze.

Kallen loosened her squelched fist and unwound her coiled left arm. A light prick of a needle nicked her tangible vein and in no time at all drops of fluid were dripping down from the IV tube into her bloodstream. The nurse carefully steadied her injured arm on the armrest, ticking a box on an IV bag as she scribbled down something on her notepad.

Kallen was smarter than to be fuming at her restricted state as she received temporary medical treatment from the consulate's doctors, but she just couldn't put out the boiling pot at the button of her stomach irritated by her weakness. None of this should be happening, she told herself. It was her job to eliminate Lelouch's enemies and ensure his safety, yet here she had failed both.

_Guess I'm not buying that McLaren anytime soon._ She internally joked, only to have the laughter come out as a laboured cough.

"Hey… Ms. Nurse, do you think you can up my anesthetic? It's starting to wear off." Kallen forced down a toiled pant after her request was aired. Anya must have shot her up with a dose of opioid painkiller before she woke up in the back of the jeep, since after that the agony only worsened with each tick of the clock, coercing her to refresh the dosage every time.

"Ma'am, I must again recommend you receive proper medical—"

"-Listen- listen, okay? I told the doctor or whoever was here the first time. I don't have time to get comfy. As soon as we're done here, we're leaving for the capital- our capital. Not that I like being wounded, but there's no time to waste." Kallen exhaled, letting go of the annoyance of having to repeat herself. "So please, just shoot me up."

Reluctantly, the nurse tinkered with her IV bags and a new mixture entered the tube. The effect became soon apparent as Kallen was washed over by numbness and relief. She leaned further back into the cushioned seat, letting herself indulge in the inebriation of the drugs and the misery of her incompetence.

"-Are you… okay?" Sometime later, Anya detached herself from the embassy employees and made her way to Kallen.

"…I think so. I'm high as a kite right now, other than that, just peachy."

"You're crying." That was an attribute she wasn't even aware of.

"Did you warn Pendragon?" Kallen distracted Anya from her own insecurities, albeit not quite so successful.

"Yes, they should be ready for a war. Suzaku said he'll send someone to pick us up soon, you'll be treated aboard the Avalon." The pink-haired ace affirmed, "Are you feeling okay?" and also redirected the topic to her concern.

"This shit just… it really sucks, you know? I feel way out of my league. I've never been a W.I.A before, and I got messed up this badly in one day." Compelled by her remorse, more bubbles of tears escaped her eyelid. "I am just… isn't up to par, I'm such a loser…"

"It's okay, we all make mistakes."

"But some of us can't! I can't! Some mistakes can't be made."

"It's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up over someone else's badness." It was the same sympathy she heard already, and it didn't work too well the second time.

"But I should've been better! I should have… done anything else…"

"It's just what happens… similar to when I went from playing vanilla Minecraft to 2b2t. Do you know they PvP with End Crystals there?"

Kallen was monetarily dumbfounded, she tried to shake away the confusion with a befuddled stare. "What? What- what are you even talking about?"

"2builders2tools. It's the oldest anarchy server in Minecraft. It has never been reset since it launched eight years ago."

"B-but why would you bring that up? Does that have to do with anything?"

"To distract yo- I mean, to tell you stories of 2b2t, the oldest anarchy server in Minecraft. And how it's so different from what I was used to… just like right now, in real life, because you're not used to it."

"Huh… heh… ha-! Hahaha…" This time, Kallen managed to laugh heartily. Maybe it was due to the influence of drugs pumping through her system, or maybe not. "You're just… such a strange girl, Anya… I can't even… thanks, I guess. You're pretty cool, gamer."

"I am?"

"Sure are."

— —

**Author's note**

I just wanna remind everyone to take a look at my chapter titles, they're kinda funny in some ways and I'm kinda almost proud of some of them.

Very important, the most important, literally paramount. Kallen isn't real-life 'OMG her face just melted off' disfigured, this is the anime 'badass-ly receive a scar that makes a character looks 11111111% cooler' disfigured, or will be after she gets proper medical attention. I had the idea of blowing her up to kinda show how Marrybell's thing does have consequences, but she's obviously not gonna look like what's-her-face from American Dad after getting acid-attacked that one episode (or acid-attacked IRL).

Also, Kallen's opinion on Marrybell's belief doesn't represent what the story believes. It's her thoughts after what happened to her. I won't tell you guys what to think of Marrybell's plan, we all have different thoughts on it.

I'm not sure exactly how realistic it is for someone who got blown up and fell down a pretty far distance to be up and somewhat about after a couple hours. But thanks to CG's medical technology in lore, I don't have to be. Their healthy health is obviously healthier than our health so let's all agree it's not impossible for her to not be crippled after that.

Is Marrybell gonna successfully pull off her plan and win the big game? Probably not. Is she gonna end up in the gutter like some of you guys are hoping? Lmao, I dunno. Although it's fair to guess that's where Kallen wants to put her.

Hey, I'm thanking you guys again for liking this story, I'm still chugging along, doing my thing. And this time I sure got some stuff to say to some reviews. For the ones I don't directly reply to, I'm still very grateful, I just can't think of anything to say other than 'based, based on what?'

Replying to Goten Askil's chapter 16 review on Euphemia's trip to Japan: I understand how the trip could sound unreasonable, but I think it's pretty acceptable that Suzaku and the Avalon crew would take the necessary precautions to ensure she doesn't see anyone or do anything bad. Even if she does get triggered by a Japanese, I'm thinking that Suzaku can straight up overpower her if he must (which wasn't needed, as seen in the later chapters). Also, you weren't supposed to guess that other bit, my dude.

To your chapter 20 review: I can respect your opinion on Marrybell and the Glinda Knights, and what you said about lack of attachment to the characters is definitely true. I think that's why I spent lotta words on Marrybell since I do want her to be more relatable, if not likeable. For the part when Kallen struck, I don't think I wrote his reaction in a way that shows he's all frozen up? He's surprised, but not so much that he just stops, he gives the order for Jeremiah to pull back and asks for Marrybell's location. Maybe it's the '!' that makes him seem more panicky, but Lelouch being absolutely floored wasn't how I intended the scene to play out. Him not telling Jeremiah to use his canceller is my bad though, I could come up with an explanation right now, but I'll admit I didn't think of it at the time of writing. However, I did write that Monica took off her mask when the tear gas occurred, I think it's fair to assume the rest of the bridge crew did the same, and that's why they were vulnerable to Marrybell's Geass.

Replying to Ascer97 review on Marrybell: I know mostly everyone doesn't know who she is, that's why I really want to give her more screentime. I am a bit biased on Marrybell though, since I just really like her character. Hopefully, my interpretation of her isn't too far from canon, except for the music bit, I definitely saw somewhere that she really likes it, but maybe it's from 4chan a long time ago, so oof if it isn't true.

Replying to Jupiter's Bull's chapter 12 and 20 reviews all about the good stuff, I guess: Glad that you enjoy my (questionable) usage of the spinoff characters, not everyone is about that, but I think I need them to write a compelling plot. Can't please everyone, but I do my best. I believe the story is ultimately more about the characters than the overall plot, so that's where my focus is. I do plan to have a good ending since I'm all about having the characters be happy too. Also, thanks for the encouragement, but I think I'll stay outta Lelouch's head for a now, it's kinda the style of my writing at this point and makes him way more mysterious (and available for asspulls) than if I were to describe what yer boy is up to, although maybe in the future when I do a big reveal or something.

I really do hate long-ass ANs since it really bloats my word count, so I'mma bounce here.


	22. Sweating over free real estate

**Sweating over free real estate**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Kyoto, UFN airfield**

**Some hours after meeting Nunnally**

Gluing one hand to the steering wheel, Alice casually untied a wrapped piece of candy between her teeth and spat out the plastic jacket into an empty cup in the cupholder. Bringing the spare arm back into the cupboard underneath the driver-side armrest, she fetched another piece of sweet and extended it to her co-driver.

"It's free real estate."

"It's free- what?" The shorter knight spoke just a bit too fast for Suzaku to catch it properly.

"…Don't sweat, you taking it?" She jiggled the boiled sweet closer to Suzaku's face. The generous offer didn't seem to match with her lacklustre mood. But then again, the Knight of Zero hadn't noticed any method of nonverbal communication from her since they met.

"I'm alright, thanks."

"…" Humming once, Alice withdrew her arm and repeated what she did with the first candy to the second one.

Suzaku turned his unfocused glance outside the window. Their inconspicuous van had just emerged from an underground tunnel, putting them next to the paved runway of Kyoto's first and newest airport. The UFN flattened a field outside of downtown Kyoto soon after deciding the necessity of air travel, not wasting a single day to establish their foothold.

_Even though they're relocating the headquarters to Honolulu by the end of this year, but who am I to tell Kaguya what to blow her budget on… _The fine-print of politics interested Suzaku none, airfields were a dime a dozen in fully developed countries anyway.

Turning a corner, the familiar sight of the Avalon's armoured hull came into view. Their destination. Alice pulled up next to an elongated ramp from the airship, where a few mechanics were going about their day. Both knights briefly checked their surroundings as they exited the vehicle, Suzaku let his new co-worker take care of handling their VIPs.

Sliding open the van's backdoor, Alice was welcomed by the delightful sound of childlike giggles. "Your Highness, we've arrived." She escorted the third princess out into Suzaku's care before leaning in to unbuckle the one she was responsible for.

"Thank you, Alice."

"Anytime, Nunnally." Lustrously, the Emperor's sibling smiled at her protector.

"Hmm… smells of caramel… and two of them, how greedy of you, young lady."

"I am a sexualized version of Homer Simpson."

"…That's kinda gross." Nunnally giggled, and Alice soon mirrored. "Although I'm sure you're more willing to share?"

"I'll grab you one." Alice took a step out of the princess' personal space to deliver the sought-after goods, but a tug of the sleeve halted her.

"I want one of yours."

"…Mine?"

"Yours."

"…I don't think…" Alice turned around and was met with Suzaku's questioning glance, injecting a surge of awkwardness into the exchange between her and the crippled youth.

She slightly parted her lips wanting to say something, likely anything. Tragically, Nunnally dragged her attention back before she could. "An order of one caramel candy please, sunshine."

Alice conveyed a mixture of emotions in one short sigh, before letting Nunnally pull her in closer than any two persons should be naturally. Suzaku continued to confusingly conceal his gawk from a distance, not sure what to make of the peculiar interaction between a knight and her liege.

"-Stare any harder and your drool will be hitting the ground, love." Only an interruption from his own ward stopped Suzaku from boring a hole into Alice's back by his glare.

"Why… what're they doing?" Euphie started to chuckle at Suzaku's bewilderment, but it soon died down when she saw the genuine bafflement in his demeanour. "I just… is there anything desirable about food in someone else's mouth?"

"Surely, you can't be serious, Suzaku."

"No- I mean, I just don't…" Realizing the cooling attitude Euphie was giving him, Suzaku stopped himself before presenting any more reasons for the princess to be disappointed.

"You know that one scene of the funny cartoon man who does this pose with his hands," Euphie brought both of her open palms to the side of her face and pointed them directly at Suzaku. "-and he says 'you dense mother— and then the F-word', you know what I'm talking about?"

"No… no?" He honestly had no clue.

"Ugh… but that's you! Because you're just so- you're so you!" Euphie's hands inched in closer to Suzaku's face. What he initially thought would be an affectionate stroke turned out to be a wave of slaps, rapidly bouncing his cheeks between her fingers like drummer tapping the batter head to the rhythm.

As much as he enjoyed her playfulness, Suzaku had a layer of pride he couldn't leave vulnerable to her fondness. "…Okay, okay! Your point is taken! Maybe!" He caught both her hands and returned them to her side. "Let's just grab our luggage and get to the hotel. I don't want to waste too much of Nunnally's time."

Finally letting him off the hook in a fit of laughter, Euphemia interlinked their arms and intended to head aboard their carrier. "…Alllll-rightly, buddy."

Suzaku turned his heel to follow his liege' lead, content to let the previous uncongenial conversation fall by the wayside. However, before he managed to climb to the top of the ramp, a very distinguishable noise filtered through his eardrum and registered in his aptitude for peril.

It was the combined sound of a roaring engine and metallic shape cutting through the atmosphere, but it was growing in volume way too fast to convince him there was any chance of a happy landing.

"Euphie, get inside now. Go!"

Behind him, Alice was likewise ushering Nunnally to join her half-sister in the safety of the Avalon. Both princesses agreed to their knight's protection without any protest.

"You two, please be careful, okay!?" Euphemia shouted after them as they explored the vastness of the airport's tarmac. Searching the skies for the source of danger.

"Eyes on Bogey. Eight O'clock, fast descending." Alice was the first to spot it, and by following her instructions, Suzaku was the second.

A passenger jet of Britannian design was falling out of the sky right before their eyes. A thick trail of dark smoke gusted out from its turbine engines on the brink of expiration. The airplane weaved and swayed on its descent, barely extending its landing gear in time as the craft crashed down tumultuously and dragged a line of damage across the tarmac until it came to a gradual stop due to friction.

Both knights cautiously judged all their options available for a brief moment before agreeing wordlessly to approach the crash site. Like Alice, Suzaku drew his sidearm and checked its ammunition. Armed and ready, he contacted the Avalon through his earpiece, hoping for a response.

"—Avalon, Zero to Avalon. I have visual on a crashed Bogey out on the runway by my position, requesting instructions." While talking on the radio, Suzaku inched close enough to the jet to smell its fume. From the looks of it, the aircraft paid its toll in some turbulent air and was on its last legs regardless of crashing or not.

"—Zero, we have an update from Control. They say the unknown aircraft came in from the west and requested an emergency landing. No further directives are available at this time. A security team is en route. You're free to investigate at your discretion." Cecile on the other end informed Suzaku of the situation, hearing her crisp voice brought a bit of peace to his tension.

"—Roger that Avalon, proceeding to investigate." Suzaku and Alice reached the edge of the undamaged pavement. Just some metres in front of them was the private jet's entry ramp sealing the compartment shut.

Suzaku wondered if he should force his way inside the cabin, as there were likely to be survivors. Although that ended up not being a decision he had to make.

Following a whispering hiss, the ramp unbolted itself from the fuselage and unfolded towards the ground. The imperfect parking of the aircraft resulted in a wobbly path from the interior to the exterior, but the unsteady passengers emerging from the shadows of the jet were still determined to exit their vehicle.

Almost miraculously, Suzaku was surprised that he immediately recognized the identities of the UFN's unsolicited guests. And judging by the quiet gasp of the figure carrying her partner, she too was unready for the Knight of Zero to be there to greet them.

"Cornelia… and Nonette?" Suzaku confirmed the names of the two visitors, still entirely perplexed by their presence.

Albeit not perplexed enough to miss the massive smudge of blood painting the front of Cornelia's uniform in red as she held an unresponsive Nonette in a bridal carry, where an even larger bloody crimson drained every range of colour from the older Round's skin.

"K-Kururugi! Help- help her! Get medical! Hurry!"

**Aerial Battleship Avalon, Kyoto airport**

"Wooh… this is… it's rather tense. It really is." Euphemia formed an 'O' shape with her mouth and excitedly cycled through a few inhales and exhales.

Together with Suzaku, the two lovers were standing before a sliding door to Cornelia's room in the Avalon's sickbay. The ship's doctors had cleared the elder sister of any life-threatening injury soon after helping her aboard. It was her subordinate, the Knight of Nine, who was in critical condition and required a surgical operation.

"I'm sure there's nothing you can do wrong in there. Cornelia will be overjoyed to see you." Suzaku reassured her.

"Of course, I'm just thinking about how to greet her, like- casually or formally? What do you think?"

"It depends on how you want your relationship to be from now on, just do what you're most comfortable with."

Euphemia seemed to have taken Suzaku's suggestion to heart, her head held high and her stature energized. With a jubilant smile hanging over her lips, she effortlessly barged her way into her sister's room.

Cornelia, predictably, was surprised beyond words upon seeing her lost kin. The proper means of dialogue escaped her as her arm crossed the distance between the bedframe and Euphie's dangling fingers when she sat down by her bedside. The former Viceroy held her sister's hand dearly for what felt like an eternity, putting it under a conscientious inspection as she let it touch her on the cheeks.

"It's you… Euphie… it really is you…"

"I sure have gotten prettier since we last met, right sis?" Ever so gently, Euphemia pulled her dearest sibling into a tight embrace, a soothing reunion for the two sisters once worlds apart. The pink-haired princess comforted Cornelia as she sobbed into her bosom, a rare sight of momentary weakness from the infamous and renowned Goddess of Victory.

"How did it…? What happened for you to…?" Slowly letting go of her reconciled warmth, Cornelia struggled to procure the right terms to describe her wonderment at Euphie's revival.

"Well… Geass is a- a pathway to… to many abilities— aha… hahaha…!" Euphie started an explanation of her origin, but couldn't deliver the lines between her guffaws of laughter. "-Sorry, sorry! I just couldn't… anyway, it's thanks to Suzaku. He borrowed a fragment of my epoch from heaven. Apparently, they don't have anti-theft detectors up there."

"Huh… I see… I feel I should be more surprised but… I've seen these kinds of things, maybe too many …" Cornelia traded glances with Suzaku, unsure of how to react to Euphie's preposterous story and comical attitude.

"Well… you have my everlasting gratitude, Kururugi. I-I owe you my… my…" The older princess' vagueness spoke more of her indebtedness than anything she could've offered to the knight. Perhaps there was nothing comparable to the life of her only sister, Suzaku would like to believe that to be the case.

"Oh… well, don't sweat." A period of silence washed over the three, allowing Suzaku to regret his response.

"Look at this lad, just been given the Spector and has already adopted this attitude." Euphie rested both her hands on the Japanese youth's shoulders, playfully leaning close into his chest and demonstrating their amity.

"You knew about that?"

"They don't make those carrying cases for any random stick, you know."

"I suppose they don't." Suzaku was reminded never to sell short the talents of the Britannia bloodline. The royalties were all uniquely gifted in their own ways.

Noticing the stagnation in the conversation, it prompted Cornelia to speak of something else. "Nonette, she is okay? She shielded me with her body…"

"Regarding her…" Suzaku started to think of a fitting reply to Cornelia's urging curiosity. "She's lost a lot of blood. The doctors have her in the ER. They're doing what they can to save her."

The bedridden commander acknowledged with a nod. There appeared to be a lot on her mind. "Have you heard the news of what happened in Cambodia?"

"No…" That was Schneizel's stronghold, and Lelouch and Marrybell's objective.

"I-I don't know how to say it… Lelouch… he- it might have been…"

"What? What happened?" Suzaku controlled his mettle to not let aggravation show, but how Cornelia was reluctant to explain didn't help.

"Schneizel wants to use the Toromo Agency as bait for Marrybell and Lelouch. He's going to detonate a F.L.E.I.J.A on the base after they arrive. We were on our way out of there when he explained it to me, plus the fact that only the handful of us knew. He is sacrificing everyone on the base to get Lelouch."

Suzaku felt his mood sour, but he kept his face flushed.

"We argued over it… things got messy, and Nonette took some bullets for me. We barely managed to grab a jet onboard and flew it here. It's the only place I could think of." Cornelia stopped a snuffle by sniffing back something in her nose. "I couldn't let him just kill Lelouch… I just thought… if someone knows about Euphie's video, it'd be him."

Euphemia patted her sister's back, willingly letting her melancholy affect her.

"Can you get into contact with Lelouch?" Suzaku's princess asked sternly.

"I'll—" -_give him a call_. That was what the Knight of Zero thought he would do, but the call got the drop on him before he even dialled a number.

Pulling his ringing phone out of his pocket, the number on the Caller-id was one he didn't recognize.

"—Identity yourself and send traffic." Suzaku picked up and put the caller on speaker.

"—Snapshot 1-0 transmitting in real-time. Operation Switcheroo failed. The Glinda Knights betrayed us. Security of Pale-King is compromised. Aerial carrier HMS Stranger Tides and World's End sunk. HMS Prometheus, Next Generation and Great Britannia commandeered. It's calculated that the Glinda Knights are advancing on Pendragon. Requesting immediate medevac outside the AO. Suzaku… we need your help, Kallen needs your help."

That was a great deal of information, almost overwhelmingly so. Suzaku had to put a brake on Anya to process everything she was telling them.

"—Slow down, I need to understand everything you're saying. Did you say the Glinda Knights betrayed us? Tell me what happened."

Accordingly, Anya broke down the misadventures of Lelouch's party thus far. Tales of Marrybell's deceitful tricks, of her smoking gun, of Lelouch's disappearance. Suzaku trusted the Knight of Six to divulge everything that transpired without leaving out essential details. Once her narrative was at its end, the three listeners took a bit to understand the implication of her account.

"—So… if I got this right, it was Marrybell who fired the F.L.E.I.J.A?" Cornelia picked herself to speak first.

"—Yes, Your Highness."

"Then things are as she says, Kururugi. Lelouch is M.I.A." Cornelia confirmed the presumption Suzaku warily accepted, that her information was out-of-date and the reality wasn't a better alternative.

"—Anya, send coordinates, we'll pick your team up." The Japanese ace continued his call. Out of his peripherals, he noticed the annoyance of a cancelled trip faintly materializing over Euphemia's worried frown for the king.

"—Transmitting." Suzaku's smartphone beeped once, a set of numbers flashed onto the screen.

"—Confirmed. We'll get ready for take-off, although I have no ETA available at this time."

"-Wait, wait. I don't think that's a good idea! This ship is still in the process of refuelling and resupplying, taking off now is gonna be a mess for the logistics department!" Interrupting his conversation, Euphie provided a reminder of a snag Suzaku was well-aware of without any solutions.

"That's what they're paid to do. We can top off over Honolulu, resources aren't my concern right now. We need to get to them out of there and make way for the capital."

"I'm just saying it'll take us too long to get to them! Maybe… I dunno, they can get a unit stationed closer to them to give them a ride." There appeared to be discontent in his princess which was mounting by the second, Suzaku was nearly blindsided by Euphie's lack of empathy.

"Are you- what're you even talking about? Anya already said Kallen needs a medevac, not many ships around the world have the same medical facility as us. Also, there's a chance other Britannian bases near them might be compromised, we're the only ones they can trust." An infrequent occurrence, but Suzaku wasn't bowing down to Euphemia's tantrum.

When the pink-haired royalty prepared a counter on the edge of her lips, the Devicer knew promptly to cover the microphone on his phone so as to not share her complaint. "I-I know! B-but we just got here and- and I don't wanna just up and leave! Also! You're not the only captain of this ship! Don't I get a say in this?!"

In that exact moment, Suzaku was made uncomfortably conscious of his own heartbeat. Here it was, his first real argument with Euphemia. The subject matter being none other than whether they should rescue their friends and prevent a coup d'état befalling the nation instead of remaining in blissful ignorance on their vacation.

"I… sorry, but I'm not having this conversation with you right now." Dismissively, Suzaku opted to ignore Euphie's nonsensical demand and broke off their connected gazes.

A rustle of motion abruptly arose beside him in the instant the pilot looked away from the spoiled princess, he barely perceived Cornelia's alarming astonishment. Unyielding fingers grabbed on his arm, yanking him back.

Did Euphemia intend to get physical with him? Suzaku couldn't tell in that fraction of a second as he was being pulled back. However, fortunately or not, a distraction in the form of the door opening behind them froze her action. The newcomer incentivized everyone in the room to turn their heads for a glance.

"-I hope it isn't inappropriate for me to interject, and call me presumptuous if it comes down to it, but would my dear friends care to hear a solution to this dilemma I can offer?" Announced Nunnally, smiling as usual with Alice behind her steering the wheelchair.

"That-! That wasn't what you—!" Dreading something only herself understood, Euphie timidly addressed her younger sister. However, there was no relieving sympathy to be uncovered in Nunnally's unvarying smile, only the fear of judgment behind her lavender irises.

"Just some minutes ago, the UFN received a transmission from the Britannia embassy in Cambodia. They're informing us of a terrorist attack on the Toromo Agency in the country and their responses to it, telling us not to interfere with their internal affairs." The younger girl said, professionally so while ignoring Euphie's panic.

"That's the response you'd expect." Cornelia commented. It didn't sound like an incorrect assumption.

"And the request we agreed to. The Toromo Agency and the soil it's built on is Britannia land, and that's largely where the bomb vaporized. The UFN can overlook the environmental damage it might have caused to the surrounding areas, I'm sure." Nunnally inserted a pause to her rhythm, albeit only a slight one. "As far as the UFN is concerned, this matter is Britannia's internal affair. We have no jurisdiction to interfere unless the scenario escalates to involve additional UFN interest." Speaking for on the federation's behalf, Nunnally politely declared like she was reciting a script.

"However, I just happened to overhear something about the Britannia forces left in Cambodia requiring a fast extraction with medical assistance. I'm sure Kaguya won't mind me adding a little extra parameter to the rapid reaction force en route to survey the impact zone. They can be transferred here on the first ship out."

"You're willing to do that?" Suzaku asked, no hint of insincerity in his tone.

"To be frank, the UFN doesn't want to see the current Britannian ruling structure going down the drain… again. Emperor Lelouch is serving as a fair and ethical leader, one who we can negotiate terms with. Change comes with a degree of risk, after all." Nunnally briefly broke away her sight to the side, a crack in her confident aura. "Also… there's the obvious reason for me, not just for my brother, but Kallen is a good friend as well."

"Nunnally… that's very generous of you…" Suzaku was grateful for the wheelchair-bound ambassador's gesture, although her kindness couldn't overcome the very realistic limitations. "I know we don't have the room to bargain, but Kallen really insists she needs to be combat-ready by the time we reach Pendragon. Judging by how serious Marrybell is, I'm thinking we'll need her there. She needs a ship with applicable medical equipment."

Once Suzaku issued his concern, Nunnally's reaction was to giggle cutely. "I'm well-aware of what she needs. She'll surely find her ride to be reminiscent."

"That's excellent, thanks again, Nunnally. We're depending on you." If he had her reassurance, Suzaku could chalk the hassle up as resolved.

The young girl happily smiled back, letting their subject fall to a close. "—Back with you, Snapshot. The situation is evolving as stated, be ready for a fast-medevac."

"—Roger, ending transmission." Anya clicked off the call when the next step was decided on.

Things were turning away from the worst-case scenario Suzaku had initially thought it would be. It still wasn't preferable to have his vacation cut short thanks to a coup attempt by a princess of considerable renown, but it was miles better than going home and finding someone else had stolen the crown.

_I kinda understand how Bismarck felt now._

Nonetheless, there was another pressing plight he had to deal with, one who carried immediate ramifications. "-Eup—"

"-Suzaku and Euphie, can you two go check on Nonette? I'm really worried about her." Of course, that was also another problem, even if Cornelia had to cut him off to point it out.

"I'd be happy to. Let's not faff about, love." Euphemia was eager to tend to the Knight of Nine's health, so much so that she hurried out of the room.

"Yes, we'll go take a look, she just forgot to agree." Watching his princess go without a word, Suzaku was left behind to answer the amused general properly.

"Thanks. Nonette… she deserves better than what she got. I shouldn't have let her get injured in the first place." Cornelia ashamedly shook her head.

"She's Nonette. She wouldn't be herself if she can't come back." The older knight was a close friend to Suzaku as well, just one he didn't know how to deal with.

"Right… even I couldn't tie a leash on her back in the academy." The purple-haired patient mildly dipped her chin, smoothly transforming her frown to a refined simper. "By the way, I don't want to sound rude, but there could be a better time to argue."

Rather abruptly, Cornelia shifted the topic to something more present. Suzaku had to think for a moment before opening his mouth. "Like never?"

"Never is good, just not doable. Euphie could get like that sometimes. It's up to you how you sort her out."

"You're not gonna ask me to back off instead? I won't always play the yes-man forever." Suzaku elected to adopt a more casual attitude to the overprotective older sister's advice. He was convinced that acting meek and spineless wasn't going to earn him Cornelia's blessing.

"You literally brought her back. I don't care how you did it, but that makes you the right candidate for the overbearing and underpaid job of being her partner." Apparently, his new poise was doing wonders for his image.

"So I'm hired, then?"

"Welcome to the 'I can't believe I have to put up with this girl' club."

**Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten**

**Britannian Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia**

**An hour after contacting Suzaku**

"Fucking Suzaku… not even once…" Kallen mumbled under the shroud of her bandages. She might have been slipping in and out of consciousness for the last handful of hours, but there was no way she could let herself miss a chance to dump another bucket of contempt onto her already mounting pile for the Knight of Zero.

The massive shadow casting over the capital of Cambodia quelled the blinding rays beaming down upon her from the dazzling afternoon sun. In a country so near the equator, the time of year had almost no relation to the suffocating hot air pestering her.

Although her sweating brow wasn't due to the November heat, it was all because of the familiar battleship floating overhead.

"Look, Suzaku sent the Ikaruga to pick us up." Anya specified, but all Kallen heard was a taunt.

"He sure did, didn't he?"

"…It's funny because you used to be with them, but now he managed to get them—"

"-No, no. I understand, really. Your joke is apprehended, okay? Like- haha yes, no need to repeat yourself."

"You sound upset."

"This shit is gonna be so awkward…"

As the two Rounds bantered, a smaller VTOL from the Ikaruga touched down in the parking lot behind the consulate. From its extended ramp, a group of Black Knights stepped out escorting a few doctors in white garbs. Kallen typically wasn't one to remember faces, but she quickly recognized many of her old comrades even through their visors.

After the swarm of soldiers secured the parking lot, their captain gestured for the medical team to tend to the wounded. At least the redhead could be grateful her help wasted no time acting surprised over her identity and instead immediately guided her onto a more comfortable stretcher than the one she was on.

"You three looks like our mission objective, any identifications?" The Black Knights captain asked, his rifle at the ready, but its trigger guard was clear.

"Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six." Kallen's shorter friend provided her smartphone to prove her title's validity, one glance at her papers certified her claim for the captain.

"Glad to pass off this job without a hitch, let's get you fellers onboard." The soldiers around them made way for the trio to pass. "You need to bring your KMF aboard, correct? I'll link you with our AWACS, standby." The captain said to Anya before both of them clicked away on their devices.

Having no reason to dispute their extraction, Jeremiah followed Kallen and the medics into the VTOL. "—Foxtrot 4-1 to Songbird. We have your foreign packages, RTB." The squadron leader spoke something more into his radio, somewhere in there he inquired the cyborg as to the whereabouts of the rest of the survivors, but none of the jargon really interested Kallen that much.

_God… time flies._ Being strapped in the stretcher left Kallen with only the freedom of exploring her imagination. The depths of her mind brainstormed lots of possible scenarios for when she will eventually encounter Ohgi. Or any other members of her old resistance gang.

_What will I say to them? What will they think of me?_ However, nothing in her creativity could provide a tangible perception of the future to convince her that the upcoming sequences of events were going to play out like the schema in her head. If only she could just avoid having to confront her former friends altogether, that was the much-preferred substitute.

However, she was in too deep to make a run for it now, not like Kallen had anywhere else to go or could even escape.

Leaning up for a glimpse beyond her constraining binds, Kallen could see they had travelled to the heart of the Ikaruga now. Anya and Jeremiah were nowhere in sight as the doctors continued to roll her stretcher towards the ER, the only recognizable person in the distance was someone she didn't dare to tackle.

"-Kallen! It's really you! This… Jesus, what happened to you!?" Ohgi ran up alongside her, solicitude and anxiety were written all over his front.

Somehow, one peek at his caring expression opened the floodgate to her pool of sealed away memories. When she left the Black Knights for Lelouch, she was motivated by passion and affection. Now that she found herself back to where everything began, it was difficult to stop herself from feeling unsettling.

"Hey… Ohgi, I'm glad to see you again. Look, man… I kinda got blown up." Kallen coughed between some of her breaths, unsure why she was suddenly choking up so badly.

Kallen's relationship with Ohgi had always been something she cherished forever, doubly so after losing the brother she admired so deeply. In many ways, they were just as close as she was to her family. He was her only connection to her lost sibling, even though she had to forsake his dream for accomplishing her own, it didn't lessen the ache in her heart when she turned them away.

_But I can't go back. I've already renounced the name they know me by._

It was clear the general secretary had complicated thoughts circling upstairs, but it wasn't what he opted to say to the injured Devicer. "…It's alright, kid. You'll be alright, let's get you fixed up. We can catch up after that."

"Yeah… yeah, I think… I'd like that. I'm getting a bit tired again… we'll talk later… for sure." Kallen murmured as she felt her consciousness seeping away through the cracks. Suddenly it made sense why the surgeons wheeling her into the operating theatre was telling their leader to step out.

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Aerial Battleship Avalon, Kyoto airport**

"_Yo, check'em! You're the new hot-topic in town, humm?_"

"_Who's asking?_"

"_Can't you tell just by looking? I'm your new co-worker, Nonette Enneagram._"

"…_The Knight of Nine._"

"_Seems like you got your head on straight, dear boy. Remember this pretty face, yeah? You'll be seeing it._"

— —

"—_Visual on fast inbound Bogeys to the west, no positive-ID._"

"—_Anyone in this AO without an IFF is a Bandit. Go wild and show 'em how us Rounds dances, Kururugi._"

"—_Lancelot is moving to intercept inbound Bandits, no assistance required._"

"—_Hah! Ain't you a cocky one, partner? I'll be here to rate your romps._"

"—_Let's not pretend your approval means anything to me, Enneagram._"

"—_Well…! Ain't that the truth, dear boy._"

— —

"_Hey, hey. Hold your horses, young man._"

"_What do you need, Enneagram?_"

"_Always so friendly, ain't-cha, Suzaku. Just trynna give you back this feather you dropped._"

"_That's-! When did I drop it?_"

"_Just now. You're welcome, by the way. You're always polishing that thing, it's an heirloom or something?_"

"_It is… something. It's important to me._"

"_Maybe keep it in a safer place than your pocket, humm? You'd be in shambles if you lose that on your way to Area Eleven._"

"_I will. Thanks, En- Nonette._"

"_That's more like it, dear boy! Go have yourself some fun at school, yeah? Back in my days, Cornelia and I sure had our blast. You should live a little, too._"

"_I… I shall try._"

"_Wonderful! No need to be Mr. Reaper when you're off the clock, let's turn that frown upside-down!_"

"_We're not that close yet, Enneagram._"

"_Alright, alright. Off you go then, laddie. Don't be a stranger across the pond!_"

— —

Suzaku and Nonette. Acquaintances by trade, colleagues in the sky, friends by association. Was there any more relation between them beyond sharing the same job, Suzaku couldn't rightly discern. Regardless, being the only child in his family and raised without a proper childhood, sometimes outlandish thoughts would zap through him when looking at Lelouch and Nunnally during the days of old.

That a sibling wouldn't be all that bad.

_An older sister like Nonette… that could be not overly negative._ It would still be pretty bad, to be fair, just not his worst nightmare.

However, that was a daydream nested inside a fantasy, unlike the very real prayer for the older Round to come out of her operation safely as Suzaku waited in suspenseful tranquillity outside the OR.

To his left, as far away on the bench as possible was Euphemia. Like him, his princess had been waiting for almost an hour for Nonette to hopefully recover. In that time, Suzaku couldn't find a single snippet of common ground, and not for his lack of effort. Her sulking posture and muddled demeanour made it very clear she wasn't up for a discussion on their earlier quarrel in Cornelia's room.

So, both of them stewed in awkward silence and endured the weird consequences of their first argument up until the 'operation' electronic sign on top of the theatre dimmed out. A group of surgeons walked out, dressed in surgery scrubs dipped in dim pools of blood.

Suzaku stood up from his seat. The intent to speak was impeded by the understanding of its pointlessness. He could ask for Nonette's condition, but then again, he was going to be told that in the next second anyway.

_I hope…_ He didn't know what to hope. Wishing for her survival when he could do nothing to help might just well be a jinx, not that Suzaku believed in such things.

"-My Lord… she won't make it."

"…Oh." And that was that.

The next half a dozen minutes passed in a blur. He was told why Nonette was dying, which was because she lost too much blood. He was told when she was dying, which was soon. But that was about all he really cared, when he refocused the haze under his eyelids, he was already sitting by the platinum-haired woman's side on her deathbed.

"Hey…" Suzaku uttered one word as a greeting.

"…Ku-rurugi… is… is Cornelia…?" Mumbling in a miserably weak voice, Nonette asked.

"She's fine, she's safe. You protected her."

"I'm kinda… regretting that… though." That was more like the usual Knight of Nine.

"You did great, she's very grateful to you."

"How long… have I got left?"

"You… you'll be alright. We'll get you back on your feet in no time." Suzaku complied with the universal tradition of lying in these situations, even if the truth was plainly obvious.

"C'mon… Mr. Reaper… you shouldn't be refusing me this ride across the Styx." If the Japanese knight were anywhere else, he'd have chuckled out of respect.

"You're thinking of Charon. I am Death, different characters."

"…You were great in Darksiders II… I really liked your design in that…" Suzaku rattled his brain for a way to continue Nonette's train of thought, but he was coming up dry.

"I think you lost me there, Nonette."

"Just tell me… how long I have. I promise I won't get mad…"

Braving a plea so sincere, Suzaku couldn't stand to refuse her one request any longer. "A couple of hours, Nonette. You lost too much blood, there's nothing they can do."

"…Heh… so that's that then…" Nonette broke her fatigued gaze from staring into Suzaku's regret and sorrow, appearing surprisingly at peace in her final moments.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't let me bog you down, young man… it's just the hand I'm dealt."

"If you need anything…"

"Nah… don't waste your time with me. Leave this old hag to her thoughts." Nonette scantily managed a meagre smile, the dark rings under her eyes growing too apparent for the false cheerfulness to prosper.

"I can't just go."

"It's okay… I've done my part and made my peace. You don't have to worry about me." Steeping her final statement in determination, Nonette feebly lifted her right hand to wave away her last visitors.

"Nonette…"

"Now go, I don't wanna anyone seeing me dying." Heeding her humble entreaty, Suzaku stepped back from the bed.

The only wish of a fiery warrior about to depart the living world was a wish Suzaku wasn't sure if he could accept. Being one of the few Rounds to truly earn Suzaku's reverence, the Knight of Nine deserved so much more than what she received from the fickle finger of fate.

_Is there nothing I can do?_ Except there was something, a power he knew too well.

_Can I do it… should I?_ However, the dormant Geass he touched only a handful of times was an untamed ability in an unexplored frontier. Suzaku borrowed the supernatural of the Collective Consciousness once to fulfill a dream that was his calling, he didn't know if a miracle can transpire twice.

"-You should help her. If you can." In his hesitation, Euphemia who stood standoffish to the side had snuck next to him. Her earlier displeasure completely evaporated by that point. Whispering heartfelt advice in his ear, she gently folded her arms around his shoulders as her pinkish hair brushed against his cheek.

"I'm not- I don't know if I can." There were still too many unsolved mysteries, too many uncertain risks.

"When I was stuck in the ether, it was your voice that called out to me. Your love and affection on the end of spider silk dribbled down for me to grasp. You asked for me and I received. You should give her the same question."

"But… what if there can only be one?" After all, that was his ultimate deterrent. It was a trade he could not make. Euphemia was a soul he could not desert, not for anything else.

"I won't ever leave you again, love. Not even heaven itself can revoke me." By the compassionate request of his princess and her voice of assurance in her tenacity, Suzaku was convinced to give the otherworldly magic another go.

"You'll be with me till the end, right?"

"Beyond the end, my love won't be hampered by anything." And that was where Suzaku found an extra slice of confidence.

He returned to Nonette's bedside, a newfound purpose fueling him to act.

"I thought I still got some time left, Mr. Reaper." The Knight of Nine greeted him with a strange welcome.

"It- there's something I can do for you, Nonette." Suzaku made his approach very deliberate, closing the distance between them to inches. "It turns out there're ways to circumvent me."

"So you're getting sloppy with that scythe, humm?" Suzaku scarcely snickered. How the older woman still had the energy to jest, that he could not decipher. Although he had to dissipate the humour in the air, it was going to take forever if they went by Nonette's pace.

"What do you think about Euphie's return?" Saying that, Suzaku shifted his body for Nonette to catch a glimpse of the fluffy princess. Euphemia kindly gave a wave and the dying Round recognized her grace with a nod.

"I just thought… she was never gone." That was the most popular and widely accepted theory across the globe ever since Euphie's upload, and probably the fairest and most logical one.

"That's not it. Coming back from death is possible… in a sense."

"Well… shit! Sign me up." Nonette could just about laugh if she weren't pale as a ghost and about to become one.

"I can try to do that for you, but you have to trust me, absolutely."

"…I always do, young man."

"And… I have to cut your time left here a bit short. It's safer that way." Suzaku had a somewhat muddled idea of what he must do, just a little.

"It's time I won't miss, do what you have to." That was Nonette, headstrong and courageous even in the face of death, or in defiance of it.

"Alright… look at me now, listen to my voice." The silver-haired warrior complied, ushering the last sparkle of life in her eyes to stare intensely into Suzaku's own pupils. "Remember who I am, remember what I sound like… remember our friendship, if that's what we have."

"Don't sell us short… dear boy. You're my best girlfriend." Finally, Suzaku found the mood to share his laughter with Nonette.

"Remember me, hear my words when I call upon you." While his one hand was firmly interlocked with Nonette's fragile fingers as he lent her a human touch in her final hour, Suzaku reached for her life-support switch with the other. "Are you ready?"

"Trust in my self-righteous suicide." It was technically suicide by proxy when Suzaku pulled the plug.

"I see you on the other side."

— —

**Author's note**

Hey, it's a chapter mostly focused around the guy that everyone hates, big yikes.

Quick rant: I don't understand all the people that hate Suzaku enough to write stories where he just eats shit. It's not that I don't get why people dislike him, but it's awful a lot of effort to put into something you hate. I write this shitty fanfic because I'm absolutely engrossed by the pathos in the show and the story, because I think it's good. I guess bashing Suzaku isn't the only focus of some stories, but I think the show really makes the viewer understand why he is the way he is, making him much more relatable and how can anyone possibly ever dislike anything that's (((relatable)))? Maybe it's about respecting the authorial intent behind his character, which not everyone has to.

Speaking of hating someone. Guys pls no pls don't hate Marrybell she's my OC self-insert even though I'm a CSI dude and I like her and you're not allowed to not like her or you're banned! BANNDED!

What I'm saying is: I don't write characters with the intent of drawing a specific emotion from the readers. So if you dislike Marrybell, the antagonist for this arc, (because she BTFOed Kallen kinda hard?) that's based. If you don't hate her and understand where she's coming from, that's also based. I personally do like her because her character design is pretty kino, also the art in OZ the manga part two is nice, and she's a music person, which is cool. (unless that's my headcanon, then fuck)

The previous few chapters is a good indication of how combat will be handled in this story going forth. Writing fights blow by blow is super boring if written poorly, so I'll have none of that. It'll mostly be lots of radio chatter and dialogue, something that's fun to read, maybe.

**Now to reply to some reviews. (This is in bold so you can skip it)**

To Tahkaullus01: Will Gawain and Guren return? Yes.

To Jupiter's Bull: Will things get better for the main cast? No lmao. (No, it obviously will. I'm a big coward and I don't think I really have the guts to kill off any main characters, not yet at least.) I do have a happier ending planned, even if it's not as cathartic as the show. Because you're right, why bother writing cringe fic if I'm not making stuff up. I'm not sure about satisfying though, I won't have anyone get dunked on.

To Goten Askil: Why Jeremiah didn't ride Mordred's hand? Don't leave that jeep dude. Also, it doesn't matter. (But thinking about it surfing a mech's hand is kinda dangerous, no need to take that risk.) Don't think I explicitly stated Marrybell's endgame, only alluded to it. But it's probably what everyone thinks it is, so it's not likely to actually happen if I still want a next arc. Canonical Marrybell isn't a big dummy, she's just not Lelouch-tier smart. Glad you enjoyed my take of Kallen back there though. I don't want her to just be Lelouch's lackey, but also have her still reliant on him.

To TykkiMikk: If only anime characters do the rational thing and just talk everything out, right? In the likely scenario Marrybell survives being the enemy, she won't become totally irrelevant to the story, so maybe she'll get better, or won't. One thing I don't like is how seamless Lelouch's recording trick was in season two. Against Mao his recording is pretty realistic, it pauses at places and doesn't directly address what was said, but the one for Schneizel is obviously written as a conversation first and we're just shown it's a recording afterwards. It's a nitpick, I guess.

To Jiggly Joe: I need some context to what you're arguing for or against, but I think the aftermath and effectiveness of Zero Requiem are mostly up for interpretation. Until the movie, anyway. The movie shows us that it just works, so there's no point arguing about what it'll do. But it also doesn't matter in regards to this story since it won't happen.

**Done.**

I just realized there's a button that lets me reply to reviews in PM, I'll do that from now on. I'll still leave one at the end if it's from a guest reviewer though.

Wake me up-


	23. I am Marrybell's psychotic deep-dive

**I am Marrybell's psychotic deep-dive**

**Oldrin Zevon, Glinda Knights Vice-Commander**

**Glinda Knights fleet, somewhere over Asia**

**Five hours into Operation Dorothy**

"—Oreo 2-1, you're cleared for landing at hangar bay seven, vector one-zero-niner, altitude eight thousand. Be wary of turbulence, apply caution on your approach."

"—Roger, Tower. Slow approaching." The warning from the Grandberry sounded offhanded at first, but Oldrin seriously needed that alert to stop her conciseness from switching to autopilot as she maneuvered her VTOL inside of the airship.

Oldrin gave a short salute to the technicians running up to her aircraft as its engine gradually hushed. They had their duty to attend to, and she had hers, which was what brought her back to the Glinda Knights' flagship.

In the familiar corridor of the Grandberry, Oldrin passed by many members of her legion, a sea of familiar and foreign faces. Marrybell had quadrupled her recruiting effort in the duration of the younger Zevon's absence from the knight order, expanding what used to be a specialized team of elites to a massive army at her behest.

_Why did she only enlist girls though? _Even for the vice-commander, there were still mysteries left in the air.

After enjoying a mundane daydream, Oldrin's purposeful stroll ended at the Caerleon-class battleship's bridge. She mentally prepared herself for the onslaught of something unpleasant, that something was entirely dependent on the mood of their temporary captain.

"—Yeah- okay, buddy. ~Ooookay! You wanna hear my response? Leon? Well, here it is! This's your CDO Sherpa pulling her rank and telling you to ~geeeeet ~fuuuuucked! You think this baby girl is braindead? You think I was born yesterday!? Think I was born in the year of our lord 2020—!"

"-It's 2018."

"—ؙMinus TWO!" Sokkia screamed her correction at the on-screen projection as she flailed wildly in Marrybell's throne. "—I swear on your ancestor's gravestone, Leon you pencil-dicked cuck that I shall—"

Whatever epic roast Sokkia planned on spewing all over to her opponent, the euphoric delivery was prematurely terminated when Oldrin smacked her across the head with the broadside of her scabbard. "Shut your trap already, you're making a fool outta yourself."

"Wait- wait a minute… does that- does that mean… am I cringe?" Oldrin thought she had shed enough blood for one day, but apparently not.

"Yes."

_And then our lovely CDO stuffed the barrel of her Beretta into her mouth and plastered her brain matter all over the back wall. _If only.

The utter destruction of her persona by Oldrin left Sokkia nowhere to go except for cocking her finger pistol and committing imaginary suicide. She slumped back onto the chair and lay dead for a good half a minute before getting bored, quite an impressive display of the girl's patience.

"Congratulations, fucking… uhmm… you're like the- the Edward Norton to my Tyler Durden, right? And now I'm fucking dead, you happy?" Oldrin tightened a pinch on her wrist behind her back, masking her flinch before the eyes of her energetic friend.

References to movies, that was an unconventional trauma she dreaded, her mind unintentionally associated them to something more sinister.

"Marginally."

"Anyway…" Sokkia dramatically cleared her throat, flipping the switch to tap herself into the airship's PA system. "—Ayyye! CDO Sherpa to all stations! Our gal Ozzy RTB-ed safely from phase one of Operation Dorothy! Let me just remind you that yes- She'll be attending the 'mission success' celebration party tomorrow night starting at 1800 hours! Make sure to bring whatever it is you want our preciously adorable and deadly Ozzy to sign!"

"Jesus, Sokkia… I'm not a celebrity." In hindsight, that might not be the perspective held by many of the newer Glinda Knights.

"—Ticket is thirty Pounds per person and additional fees may apply." Leaving a distinctive muffled announcement for the crew, Sokkia hopped off the comms, most definitely having already forgotten her previous call with Leonhardt Steiner. The commander of the Airborne Cavalry Division sure was laughing his ass off behind the monitor.

"For the love of… a bunch of bloody brats is what you are." Oldrin shook her head in distaste, Sokkia was the embodiment of too much energy. Despite that, a smile surfaced over the XO's lips, it was so easy to be enveloped in Sokkia's positive vibes, especially when she wanted to forget everything repugnant during her day.

"—Anyway Leon, why was this dumbass screaming at you earlier?" Slapping Sokkia away as she tried to kiss her cheek, Oldrin fulfilled her role as the Glinda Knights' executive officer.

"—Nothing worth mentioning, she's blaming me for scratching the Bradford during phase one. -I don't know what you expected, Sokkia. Should I have thrown down my guns and let them blast me away?"

"—Yes." Zero indecision.

"—…Good talking to you." The only possible conclusion to their disagreement was hanging up the phone, which was precisely what Leon did.

"Lmaooo~ look at this pussy, can't even put up a fight against me, a femoid. He's just letting me mog him for actually free." Sokkia guilefully laughed at her fellow Devicer.

"Well, up against you he's playing with his life, this ain't no truth or dare." Oldrin didn't know exactly what compelled her to word her sentence in such a way, and the eye-rolling Sokkia shared her bemusement.

"Wow, a Marry reference of her always referencing songs? How original."

"Yes, yes. Anyway- holy, this's the third 'anyway' in this conversation, by the way. …Anyway! I need to talk to you about something, this is real work."

"Roger-roger, your quarters or mine?" After one last joke, Sokkia shifted her mood to adapt to Oldrin's serious demeanour.

"You good to go right now?"

"Yeah, the fleet is functioning at optimal capacity, I can afford to be away for a bit." Oldrin demonstrated her applause via a playful wink. It was unquestionably remarkable that Sokkia nailed the complexity behind fleet management in the short time since she was promoted to command-duty officer.

"Alright, follow."

"You always know how to get me excited."

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Great Britannia, somewhere over Asia**

The stomping footsteps of one chafed princess marching down the passageway of her hijacked airship had grown to become the new norm for its makeshift crew. If it was totally up to her, Marrybell didn't want to openly air her grievances all day long, it was detrimental to her soldier's morale not to mention her deteriorating mental health.

However, no matter what she tried, anger and frustration just kept seeping out of her like a cracked hourglass. She was so tired, so weary, so sick of the looming uncertainty. Lelouch had outsmarted her at every turn so far, who's to say he hadn't pulled another trick out of the ether to wipe the floor with her.

She desperately needed to know whether he was still drawing breath in the darkest corner outside her scope, but that was looking like an impossible task in the airship a couple hundred kilometres away from ground zero.

_I won't sleep with one eye open, I won't check under my bed every night._ The flashback of herself ten minutes ago jolting awake from her nap in a fit of cold sweat and panic, darting her frenzied gaze around the room searching for an imaginary danger was an unpleasant memory to the absolute extreme. A nightmare scenario where her life was snuffed out by a vengeful Lelouch was the last thing she needed in bed.

"-Oreo 2-2 at your door, buzz us in, Starburst." Orpheus quietly said into his comms, the crackle of an electric lock unbolting itself soon followed.

Before she noticed, Marrybell and her escorts reached the destination she had in mind, the detention cell where Lelouch's immortal was held captive. The witch was someone the princess must confront, she convinced herself. It was the only method of mending her consternation, of conquering her fear. It might end up being inhumane or cruel, but Marrybell was beyond caring about it.

A squadron of Glinda Knights infantry acted as the watchful warden by iron gates of the brig. Behind the security room were rows of glass-pane covered prisons. They were all pristine, tightly, and most importantly; empty. All except for one.

"How is the subject?" Marrybell asked the standing guard.

"She remained inactive after we relocated her from the interrogation room. Sometimes it seems like she's muttering, but the mics didn't pick up anything."

"Anything special at 1420 hours today?" That was the exact moment the Shinkirō was shot down.

"Nothing ma'am." The royalty mused over what her pilot reported. It could either mean a whole lot of things, or none at all.

"You going in?" Orpheus grabbed Marrybell's attention with a single sentence, his well-kept appearance concealed his well-hidden countenance.

"There're questions I want answering. Unless of course, you can provide a bit of clairvoyance using a crystal ball?"

"She's a Code, just like V.V. We don't know everything there is to know about them." Per usual, Orpheus ignored her sarcastic jabs. Marrybell assumed being a fun-killer was in the boy's bones.

"Is there a one-year course on the history of Code and Geass for me to enroll, Mr. Professor?" Marrybell snickered at her own joke, disinclined to let the solemn atmosphere govern her mood. Despite the lukewarm reception from her audience, she only felt more inclined to humour herself.

Orpheus remained impersonal all the way up until he inputted the passcode unlocking the witch's cubicle. To that, Marrybell sent him a confused gaze with a slice of camaraderie laced in, the impartial knight only replied by placing a hand on the princess' shoulder.

"Slap her around a bit and make her tell you what you need, don't get too crazy." Marrybell's escort gestured at the door with an outstretched arm, encouraging his princess to apply caution to her every step.

"Am I ever." Thus, onwards Marrybell trod, towards the undying witch of secrecies.

Like when Marrybell last visited her in a cage not too dissimilar from this one, the green-haired woman was in the same restraint that limited her movement to only a tilt of the head. Albeit, a patronizing glare beaming from her golden orbs encountered no hindrances treating the princess to her haughty contempt without a spoken word.

"I hope you enjoy the hospitality. I don't often find myself the host on someone else's ship." Marrybell jested in an imperious tone, two could play at the arrogant game.

Surprisingly, and extraordinarily, C.C. kept her quietude completely intact. Exposing only boredom and derision on the surface to irritate the impatient Viceroy far from home.

"Well, I suppose this airship is mine now, seeing as nobody around can contend my acquisition. I do wonder how easy it is to replicate the same outcome once we reach our destination." Marrybell continued her aimless taunting, feeling more foolish every second the witch refused to cooperate.

"You're quite the hard customer to please. What do I have to do to get a rise out of you, Miss C.C.?" Giving up on her provocation, the princess fluttered her arms in a playful surrender and lightly tapped her victim over the cheeks. "C'mon, don't make me do this all by myself. How am I to gloat over your humiliating defeat if you won't at least seethe in my general direction?"

"Like how you're seething right now without knowing whether if Lelouch survived? Like that?"

Brusquely taken aback by the witch's unwarranted insight, Marrybell convulsed away from C.C. in an instant. Her teasing spirit swapped out for a distasteful frown over her front.

"…Hmm, aren't you perceptive." Annoyed, Marrybell clicked her tongue. "That's right, I am frustrated. Now, am I frustrated enough to take it out on you? That is the question."

"I have told you everything you should know." Which was precisely nothing, the woman made that apparent. Absolutely nothing was divulged from her.

"I will hear from you the truth of Lelouch's survival, that's what will happen. Be it voluntarily or not, that is up to you."

"It's almost cute how you try to threaten me."

"Oh… is that so? Then laugh it up, Miss." The tips of Marrybell's lips curled up to a sadistic smirk. Her opinion on interrogation and torture was neutral by default, but it definitely wouldn't hurt knocking the immortal down a few pegs. "I want to see how long you can keep it up."

"You seriously talk like a two-bit villain, that's just unreal." C.C. jeered at the younger girl, shaking her head as she hung a smug snigger over her mouth. "It takes talent to be this oblivious, consider me impressed."

Impulsively, Marrybell opted to answer physically to C.C.'s insult. Like before, she backhanded the bounded immortal across the face, echoing a loud slap in the prison cell. When that smack only worsened the green-haired woman's conceited behaviour, Marrybell cupped her cheeks in an iron-tight clamp between her fingers and squeezed.

"You think this is so funny, don't you, you stupid bitch…"

"You have no idea…"

Looking down at her with the usual punchable grin, C.C. did something that Marrybell could never forget.

A small touch, a slim connection of the skin was all it took. That was when Marrybell was reminded of the vast uncharted fantasies which still shrouded their supernatural powers in mystery, and just maybe, she had underestimated what a Code bearer could be capable of.

The symbol of Geass on the witch's forehead flared alive in a brilliant crimson, emitting a shimmering emptiness that consumed Marrybell in the fastest split-second she ever felt. She recoiled her fingers back, pulling away on the instinctual reaction of fright. However, once the link was established, breaking it down was looking to take more effort than simply disconnecting their flesh.

Mirroring the sigil of the Immortal, Marrybell's very own left eye housing her power flickered ablaze to resonate the Code's summon. For her, the experience of springing the witch's trap was entirely ineffable. Yet somehow, she knew exactly what was happening to her soul at every following second after losing her hold over her senses.

— —

Intangible forces pulled her from the fracturing reality aboard the Great Britannia to somewhere away from time and space. The distorted princess was swallowed whole by the tidal wave of C's World, drifting along in the great ocean of consciousness until she washed up on the shore of her tormented past, a shore burning with the crumple of a fallen castle.

"_N-no! M-mum! Sis…! Noooo…! Please- God! NO!_" A child barely ten years of age collapsed by her lonesome in the scorching ruins of a destroyed home, an endless flow of tears and blood escaping from her scalded body. Dozens of dead littered the smouldered lawns, many more wounded stumbled away from the fire.

"_Marry- Marry! Go! Get up, GO! Get outta here, it's not safe!_" Another girl of similar age dragged her best friend away from danger, away from her torched dwelling and shattered life.

_V.V. took them from me… for his own shrewd sense of guaranty, he robbed me of them, my mother and my sister. _Marrybell thought she could forge her grief and sorrow into a blade of sheer focus, to one day drive it through the heart of whoever brought her happiness to extinction. That was her first serious scheme out of many to never see its fruition.

Scrambling to her feet with the help of her trusted friend over the next few weeks, the young child honed her determination to reach for a sword and tightened her grip around the handle. She readied herself for confrontation, tuning every fibre of herself to steady her fragile stance in the grand hall of the Imperial Palace. The tip of her weapon aimed at the Emperor's neck.

"_I lay the blame bear upon you, father! You should've been there! You could've saved them!_" The child charged forth in the empty hallway, where she was easily tripped over by her father's knight.

"_Such insolence… such lunacy. Only the weak can clamour at the strong for a fault born from their own feebleness._" A firm hand grabbed the powerless girl from overhead, pushing her to the ground. "_However, that look in your eye, that ferocity… I do not dislike it. Hatred is a good quality in a guard dog._"

_Is this what I deserve? To be treated like a tool, to be used as a dumb bitch? _Having committed the blunder of being ill-prepared for a confrontation against her father, Marrybell would lose eight years of her life barking up the wrong tree.

"_Charles zi Britannia engraves into you. A set of falsified records, memories made of fabrication._"

Just like that, the princess was deprived of everything she grew up with. Her status, her prestige, her luxury, but most important of all, her family, her genuine family.

_My siblings, those on my father's side… they, the incompetent fakers and witless jesters of our time. Only once I fell out of the emperor's grace was their true selves exposed. They were content to live in blissful ignorance and be the bystanders to tragedy. They shall pay for their inaction, their negligence._

The years passed one after another, enabling the child to grow up under the corrupted pretenses, laying all her blame over her family's death at the indistinct entity of 'terrorists'. She and her best friend, now a Knight of Honour under her command formed the Glinda Knights together. Their goal to eradicate those 'terrorists' who sought the deposition of her dictatorial father, the same goal she used to share.

Over time, the princess' heart desensitized to the violence, her loathing gradually corroded her childhood gentleness. She became less recognizable to her knight who upheld righteousness and justice at every opportunity, despite her attempt to grow closer to her liege.

The alignment of stars granted her a new frontier during her trip to Area Eleven, where she met her best friend's lost twin brother by pure coincidence. Destiny had seen fit to put him on a path of rebellion and defiance, but this one time, the princess managed to see past his perceived flaws for who he really was.

"_Euliya…! Are you… is that you…?_"

"_No… I'm sorry. My name is Marrybell…_"

"_Right, of course. My mistake. You look like someone I used to know._"

"_And that is the name of someone I used to know…_"

Burning questions were set ablaze in Marrybell's heart when she heard the name of a sister she loved in life and mourned in death uttered by the acquainted stranger. However, they weren't in the right place or the right time for answers and dissemination. Instead, they found themselves amidst another calamity on the verge of sentencing the princess to misery.

_Why couldn't that just be it? Why must everything I obtain come with its demerit? Must I lose someone to be introduced to someone new?_ Like the strike of deafening thunder, a gunshot rang out scattering the fateful encounter. One of the princess' operators gave her life protecting the frenzied girl from an assassination attempt.

_Toto… you're the only one of your kind, my pretty. You were too good for us._ At the time, Marrybell wasn't aware that V.V. was the true culprit behind her AWACS' demise, her clueless self back then simply chalked it up to the 'terrorists' again.

The royalty's vision was clouded by ignorance and greed after the devastating loss of her staff and friend. In her blindness, she took a poisonous gift from her mother's killer and accepted the power of kings in one hand, just as she lost touch of her knight's favour in the other.

_Oz abandoned me… citing our differences in methods as the reason. God… was I depressed back then, what would I have done if Orpheus didn't offer to take her place? _Orpheus probably wanted an opening to kill her himself, but they both soon learned it wasn't meant to be.

Living her hectic days as the Viceroy of Area Twenty-four, the princess continued to rule with a bright smile and an iron fist. Assisted by her new aide, she demolished the Star of Madrid, a resistance group her best friend allied herself with. When the dust settled over the school ground that was their base, the only remaining member alive was her once dignified knight.

"_Ma-Marry, wait- jus- just- hold on! Please!_" In the darkness where no sane person dwelled, the whopping of a leather whip echoed a mean crack against a row of iron bars.

"_You remember that scene in Reservoir Dogs where Michael Madsen's character tortures the cop while dancing to… crap, what's that song again? That old 70's shite that no person listens to._"

"_Y-you wouldn't- please! Listen to me, Marrybell! T-this isn't you! Please don't…!_" The knight's plea for mercy fell upon deaf ears, the chains lifting her body off the floor rattled a terrifying jiggle.

"_Can you please, shut your dirty mouth when I'm talking? Curses, now I gotta search it up, hold on a sec… ah, here it is, Stuck in the Middle by Stealers Wheel. Anyway, nobody cares about that boomer trash. So… I'll sing you a song I'm sure you'd like, or maybe you're in the mood to sing for me instead?_" Indeed, a song was sung, although its lyrics were far from intelligible.

_Oz… Oz, I…_ That was Marrybell's lowest point, her bottomless abyss. She didn't think she had ever swooped as far down as she did in her desperation that one night. Only when the first ray of the sun shined through the basement window did the princess realize the error of her ways, the beginning of her downward spiral. Even after hundreds of days and millions of apologies, she couldn't be sure if Oldrin had really forgiven her on the inside like she so claimed.

Nevertheless, the days kept trucking along and the princess continued her reign with her new captain by her side. She never shared the same degree of intimacy with the masked boy as she did her previous knight. It was common knowledge to both that they plotted behind each other's backs, but a bond deeper than developed beneath the surface.

"_Marry, there's something- …we should talk._"

"_Then let us._" Cuddling the princess in his sturdy embrace, Orpheus wasn't sure how to put his revelation into words.

"_I need to tell you about your sister… about Euliya_." That was the chronicle of loss she waited for ages to be told. All this time she was waiting for him to ready himself to disclose a romance from the past.

"_She survived the bombing of your castle, that she did… but she was taken in by V.V. to his Geass cult… where we first met._" The knight faltered. Glints of wetness glistered behind his visor.

Marrybell's adored younger sister, Euliya. A sister whose appearance was slipping from the fragile grip of her memories as she aged alone. Except that wasn't the truth. The Viceroy's sibling had survived the destruction of her home only to be enslaved by the murderer of their mother. Trapped under the thumb of an unnamed tyrant her sister strived for a future, for happiness in her own ways.

And briefly, she found it, together with the young man before her. However, nothing lasts forever, especially something so unreal like prosperity.

"_I… we tried to get away from that life, and we did… for a while at least. They tracked us down eventually, of course. My uncle's people, they… our village was burned to the ground, none were spared. I didn't think either of us was making it out of it alive, but I did… only because Euliya saved me._" Maybe Marrybell heard a sniff from Orpheus as his arms snuggling her strained, but she swore to never mention it.

"_The last thing… the last thing she told me before- before passing was… it was…_"

"_-That she's a Britannian royalty._" The princess finished the sentence for her knight where he couldn't.

"…_She wanted me to be happy, and to one day share that happiness with someone._" A period of silence dawned upon them, but not uncomfortably so.

Marrybell in the past could've said something, anything, one of the millions of thoughts rummaging through her head. Yet nothing spoken would've sounded proper. Rather, the only words of comfort she could offer were via a different medium, one that her sister used to love and one day promised she would become an expert at strumming.

The body of Euliya's guitar was grubby coming out of the case, so she dusted it. Its strings were worn and loose, so she replaced and tuned them. When she finally played the instrument that used to belong to another, she was cordially reminded of the wonders of songs.

"~_Summer has come and passed~ the innocent can never last ~wake me up, when September ends~_" As she performed, Orpheus listened. And together they enjoyed the melody.

_Euliya… guess you won't be touring as our guitarist, huh._ Marrybell didn't know what else to think of it, the tale of her sister. In the end, nothing had changed, dead was dead. If she was the one who could still retain her purpose in a world of depravity, perhaps she was the one more deserving of a future than the Viceroy.

Against all odds, the two unlikely companions found solitude within each other to replace what was lost. Eventually, their wobbly friendship was brought to the forefront by an event most unanticipated, when one day her father's oppressive Geass suddenly dissipated and returned her memories of verity.

_Even now, I still don't know how it happened. And maybe I'm not even that curious anymore. _Who was she to seek the truth of the otherworldly magic when she too wielded her power without reserve? Marrybell considered the erasure of the veil covering her sight to be a blessing of fortune, one she urgently needed and duly earned after so long.

With her memories restored, the second massacre princess finally understood the truth of that crucial day. And along with it the collapse of her entire being. She chased after a conceptual foe and fought to achieve a fictional peace for all of her teenage life, motivated only by a baseless lie.

_And even then… I couldn't take my revenge on that midget._ Wherever he was and whatever he was doing, V.V. was killed by something else beyond her control out of the blue.

Despite all that, she couldn't allow her years of suffering and struggle against fate to be wasted for nothing, she couldn't let the thousands she condemned to death be lost in vain. So the princess gathered every might under her influence for one last plot, one she sincerely hoped could redeem her someday, somewhere.

"_Marry, you should just kill me. I'll never forgive you for everything you've done._" Her best friend muttered, filled with validated resentment and righteous fury. "_I hate you. I really do._"

"_Enough to see me dead?_"

"…_Yes._" In the past, the princess couldn't sense the hesitation in her old knight's voice.

"_That's… good. Because I'm starting to think I need to pay off my tabs, and you fit a role in my path down this Yellow-Brick road._"

"_What do you have in mind?_"

"_You'll get to drive a blade through my heart, Oz. You or your brother, you two can fight it out. But first, you have to make me the Empress._"

— —

Vehemently, Marrybell snapped herself out of the realm of nightmares. Like sitting in a roller-coaster at the apex of the first drop, she felt her senses smacked by the whiplash of reunifying with real life. Carrying only the lingering residue of her unforgettable past along with her, she was greeted by an almost unrecognizable expression looming over the witch's face.

It was an emotion she never thought in a thousand years would overshadow C.C.'s smugness. Surprise.

"-If that's your plan all along, you could've worked with Le—!"

Before the next syllable in her unavailing appeal could be voiced, a 9mm Parabellum round discharged from the smoking muzzle of Marrybell's USP and ripped a hole right through the immortal's forehead.

As the hammer slammed down and the slide sprung back, the second bullet fired by Marrybell's sidearm found its target at point-blank range; followed by another, and seventeen more on the way. Only once the gun clicked empty and no more shots were to be sent, did the echoing of detonation in the small prison cell begin to fade. Leaving the princess by her lonesome with a temporary corpse and conflicting sentiments.

Which lasted all of three seconds after Marrybell imprudently decided to eject her spent magazine and insert a new one for the sole purpose of filling the witch with one more batch of lead, although she only got as far as pressing the mag release due to her defunct left hand.

"-Alright, alright! Don't be so excessive, Marry, Jesus." Had Orpheus not interrupted his liege's rampaging spree by force, Marrybell would've gladly wasted all of her ammunition on testing the limits of C.C.'s inextinguishable spark. "Steady now, did something happen when you touched her?"

Refusing Orpheus's hold on her shoulder, the princess swallowed her temper in a painful gulp as she holstered her weapon and departed from the messy cage.

"Where's- where's Sayako!? The maid! Bring me the maid! It doesn't take half a year to spill her beans, somebody grab her!" Noticing the lunacy in the princess' tone, the captain of fireteam Starburst radioed in her request pronto.

"Your asset is en route, give it ten minutes max, ma'am."

"Ok-okay… seal the- seal the cell, I don't wanna hear a peep outta that woman." Sending one last frivolous wave of the arm to guide her pilots, Marrybell leaned on Orpheus as he escorted her away from the depths of the prison.

"Still with me, Marry? Should I check your vitals?" Her considerate knight asked, probing around his princess for any exterior injuries that she was oblivious to in her blind scramble.

However, Marrybell wasn't in the mood to properly appreciate Orpheus's gentleness, her thoughts still too clouded by the detested flashback C.C. impelled her to experience. "That Code bitch, how dare she… how dare she peer into me like that… like some fucking mind probe- that whore!"

The witch had laid her eyes on them, Marrybell's shameful days of yore. The revolting immortal danced a gleeful waltz as she trampled over the precious memories Marrybell sealed away in the deepest parts of her heart, never meant to be revisited in her life. Those were her most harrowing trauma, her most heinous regrets, and her most mournful acceptances.

Orpheus earnestly embraced the royalty as she settled into his chest, wordlessly lending his warmth for Marrybell to comfort herself. Once again, the young commander was reminded of her surplus amount of weakness, and why she chose to always surround herself with those who can be her pillar of support.

Eventually, the princess recovered. She had to, for that was the duty of a leader. Luckily, her timing was rather on point, as that was when Sayoko arrived at the detention cell.

The maid presented herself before Marrybell, silent and robotic. Normally, the Viceroy hated how uncomfortable it was to interact with a victim of her Geass, but her irritation over C.C. trumped her irritation over the awkwardness.

"Being a Japanese ninja, I'm assuming you're well-versed in those torture techniques or whatever, is that true? Confirm."

"I can suffice." Suffice was good enough for what Marrybell wanted out of Sayoko.

"…That's all I need. I want you to mess up that green-haired woman. Do anything you can to make her suffer; kill her over a thousand times, I don't care. Make sure she doesn't ever live to say a word of what she saw from me. Only contact me if she speaks of Lelouch. Acknowledge."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Get to it." Leaving behind not even a salute, the ninja-maid walked past Marrybell and was allowed entry into C.C.'s cell by the prison guards. She too quickly made way to leave the compartment now that her business here was finished.

_Well, finished as in I'm too shaken to pursue it._

A dubious Orpheus glanced at the aspiring usurper in unspoken concern, no doubt not a hundred percent on-board with what he must deem as a disproportionate response. However, Marrybell had no intention of consulting her confidant in regards to what the Code bearer deserved. She elected herself to be the judge, jury and executioner of C.C. for her crime.

"-Oh, one last thing." Just before walking out the sliding doors, Marrybell called for the Starburst leader to heed her instructions. "If the Japanese ninja looks like she's not focused anymore, flood the cell with sleeping gas and kill her."

"Understood, ma'am." And that was all she wanted out of C.C. at that moment, her suffering.

**Oldrin Zevon, Glinda Knight Vice-Commander**

**Aerial Battleship Grandberry, somewhere over Asia**

"See, right here." Oldrin jabbed a spare finger at the computer monitor possessing the attention of the duo, on-screen was the recorded footage of the Great Britannia's CIC when the emperor last set foot into it. "0-5 hears something coming from the shaft, she draws her sidearm and goes to check it out…"

"But it's one of us, so she naturally goes to help." Sokkia continued Oldrin's train of thought, shifting her posture for a cleaner view into the bygone events as she fiddled with a short lock of her emerald hair. "Who is that again?"

"Smarties 4-3, she should be on patrol duty around the port side lower decks."

"This crap sickens me…" Oldrin too. She found it despicable to pillage others of their mind, of their free-will. There was no honour in that, no cause virtuous enough to justify treating lives as puppets.

Oldrin hated that, she hated Geass.

"…Who are we to judge." And Oldrin hated herself, hated the practices she detested but still supported nevertheless.

"C'mon, Marrybell is a piece of shit, but she's our piece of shit. We know she can still pull off this heist even without her spooky eye." Coming to the princess' defense was Sokkia, a good friend and a trusted fighter of the ambitious royalty.

"I won't disagree, but it's no excuse…"

"Yeah, whatever… anyway, like I was—"

"-Four." Oldrin spontaneously deferred the CDO's sentence to utter one word, a single number.

"What?"

"The fourth 'anyway' in this conversation."

"Are you-" Sokkia shot her an indefinable look of bewilderment while Oldrin played her gag straight with the stoicism of Zeno himself. "Shut the- shut the fuck up, you stupid brain-let retard! That's literally stupid, do you even see me laughing? Like- what the fuck, girly." The green-haired pilot blasting a flow of profanity at her was one thing, contradicting her own statement with a stream of giggles was another.

"Please, continue." Yet, there were still no cracks in Oldrin's demonstration of fortitude and equanimity.

Sokkia jittered her head annoyingly, swallowing the rest of her rant and chuckles. "…As I was saying… I fucking forgot, man." Finally, that was what stirred a guffaw out of Oldrin.

"Kill confirmed then." She swivelled out of Sokkia's eyesight to conceal her immature giggle as she relished the enjoyment of provoking the Glinda Knight's wiseacre. Sometimes switching around their dynamic was just what it took to remember her humanity.

"This's why Marrybell doesn't fucking love you."

"Okay, okay. Apologies, CDO Sherpa. Now, let us refocus." Oldrin invited her good buddy to revert back to the professional soldiers they were seconds prior.

"Man, I dunno. I'm not in the mood to see our gals get fucked raw, I prefer not to watch the rest if that's okay." An understandable mentality, Oldrin would like to avoid seeing her team taking casualties too if she could.

"Then I'll give you the CliffsNotes version." Cognizant of Sokkia's disinclination, the vice-commander fast-forwarded through the rest of the clip as she commentated over the affair. "Smarties 4-3 grabbed 0-5 at gunpoint and forced the rest of the CIC to take off their visors. There's not much to explain after that."

"Goddamn him… using our girls like dogs."

_Cowards are those who employ others to fight their battles, and leaders are those who inspire others to do the same._ To Oldrin, which of those aspects was more prominent in the emperor was a factor she had yet to deduce. Although she didn't need to muse over which one was a trait of her princess.

"There is one thing, right here." Oldrin rewound the video, drawing Sokkia's attention back. "Look, he got 4-3 to angle a mirror so that he can get a view into the CIC without setting a foot out of the tunnels. He was never caught on tape."

"It's like you're trying to get me to hate him more." Sokkia huffed an angry sigh following the recording's resolution, she swirled away from Oldrin's office desk and threw herself onto her well-made bed.

"Hey, off there with you! No animals on my bed!" Unhappy with how far her friend was taking her spontaneity, Oldrin raised a hand to give Sokkia a well-deserved wrack on the forehead.

Except she wasn't used to it yet, the weight of her left hand.

"OW! Watch it! That fucking hurt!" The severe temper in Sokkia's reproach to Oldrin's practical joke made it painfully obvious how stiffly she had crossed the line.

"Oh-! I-I'm sorry! So sorry, I'm still not used to it…"

"Jesus! You don't see Tink going out popping people's eyeballs outta their sockets, now do you!?"

"I'm really sorry! It's just-! I don't know how to get used to it…"

Her dispirited confession of guilt waned away Sokkia's exploding frustration from getting a bump on her temple. "Girl…" The green-haired officer moaned regretfully, her gaze for her captain contained an unsavoury blend of compassion and grievance. "Let's just move on, I don't wanna pity you."

"Agreed." Oldrin had cried enough tears over her loss, she couldn't let an injury that couldn't kill her slow her down. "What were we talking about?"

"Just shitting on Marry's big bro." And those were the tracks she wanted to stay on.

"Look, I dislike Emperor Lelouch's tactics as well, effective as they are and hypocritical as I am. I really want to specify how dangerous he is, our usual doctrine doesn't really do anything to counter him."

"What you're saying is…?"

"We don't know if he still lives or not, but… to be honest, I don't believe we got rid of him so easily. Once we move this operation into phase three and beyond, we need to realize anyone compromised is already dead, it's better to put them down than let them be his pawn." It was the painful truth, the harsh reality Oldrin was imposing onto the Glinda Knights, her comrades.

"So there's no way to reverse it? Like Marry's?"

"Not that we know of, and even if there is a way, we won't be knowing it anytime soon."

"Shit… girl, is there no dignity left in war?" Sokkia moaned face down into Oldrin's pillow, kicking her legs as she invoked the High-Grail's Devicer to ponder over the romanticism behind their bloodshed.

"There's only what we make of it, save whoever needs saving and kill whoever must be killed. Now, am I understood?" Pushing off her pristine desk, Oldrin let the spinney chair beneath her deliver her wherever it fancied within the confines of her room.

"Solid copy. Cap bitches for their own good, isn't that our motto?" It wasn't, and Sokkia knew that.

"I'll go in-depth into it during the briefing, we need to be prepared to rid of those that fall to his power." Spinning around aimlessly, Oldrin was halted when she rolled up beside her bed and was snared by Sokkia's feet.

"Can you bear to put me down if it comes to it?"

"You know I'll put you down anytime."

The energetic pilot let slide the witty affront and began an invasion into Oldrin's personal space using her slim legs, her nimble toes pushed the frontline forward as the vice-commander retreated into her seat. _When did the socks come off?_

Oldrin endured the annexation of her breathing room from Sokkia's toes until she was forced to squat on the summit of her chair's backrest. A rather dangerous position under the constant risk of toppling over, if she were to judge her own hasty withdrawal. _What am I even doing?_

"Why don't you… jump down- jump down and say some gay shit…?" An intriguing suggestion, Oldrin couldn't see the reason to refuse.

Applying the gymnastic classes she took as a child, Oldrin beautifully leaped off the top of the chair and safely landed on her bed, cushioning her descent with Sokkia's slender yet athletic body. "I'm gaaaay~"

A lively and stirring smile manifested over Sokkia's countenance accompanied by a fit of hearty laughter. Oldrin was delightfully reminded of the type of humour her CDO enjoyed the most as she laid on top of her mate and comrade.

"You wanna… wanna _do_ some gay shit?" Sokkia recommended through a whisper into Oldrin's ear.

"I…" Wasting no opportunity to influence the knight's decision, Sokkia had already slipped her delicate fingers under Oldrin's belt while she was busy contemplating.

"This deal expires at a whim, grab it before it's gone."

Persuasive not via mere words, Sokkia's buried fingers were crawling closer to their target. At the same time, she opened up a second theatre of conquest by planting a deep kiss on Oldrin's lips. Her desire for indulgence was starting to creep over her sensible reasoning, reminding her she had lost count of the last time she was physically fulfilled.

_~Pour my life into a paper cup~ the ashtray's-full and I'm spillin' my guts…_

'Yes' was the answer she thought she wanted to provide when Sokkia eventually released her from their kiss, but something else fluttered out of Oldrin's mouth.

"~She wants to know am I still a slut~ I've got to take it on… the other side~"

In the fleeting second when Sokkia was surprised by Oldrin's unusual reply, she seized that chance to disengage her partner, just like how she seized the offensive arm from digging any further between her legs. The XO shifted her weight away from pressing down on the officer, putting a premature stop to their moment of intimacy.

"Well… am I not good enough for a pimp like you now?" Sokkia said, still managing to keep an unclouded smile over her face.

"Sokkia, you mean a lot to me… and you've done so much for me, despite the shape I was in after Marry brought me back." Laying side by side, Oldrin reached over to give her good friend a squeeze on the cheek. "I think… I used you in my desperation after what Marrybell did to me."

"Ozzy…"

"I'm sorry for making you take me… I know you're not actually gay. It wasn't right… just because I'm lonely without Marry, I made you…" Oldrin should've been mortified by herself far earlier than when the realization struck her, she basically did to Sokkia what Marrybell did to her.

_If only we are so different. _Like her princess before her, it turned out she wasn't above indulging in the vicious cycle of abuse.

"No, wait, hol'up! You're jumping to conclusions here, c'mon! I love raping children and stoning women as much as you guys!" The way she said it, Oldrin couldn't help but find it absolutely absurd, yet still hysterical in a manner only Sokkia the 'Crasher' could manage.

"Sokkia, darling. You might be a fag, but you ain't no lesbian. I'm sorry to break it to you."

"Dude, you can't just talk like Marry and pretend what you're saying is true!" Oldrin peacefully responded with another chuckle, the mood for anything other than relaxing had been completely blown away by then.

"Then hear me rephrasing it so you can understand: As a brainless slut with an acute case of Stockholm, I decided I only wanna munch on Marry's carpet. So your autistic whore-ass is getting dumped, biiiitch~!" Sokkia's reaction to her rejection was to echo her infectious laughter loudly in the room, sparing no chance for Oldrin to avoid getting caught up in the joyous atmosphere she created.

"You're just such a fucking simp, Oldrin Zevon! I hope you lose your livelihood burning money on her OnlyFans!"

Oldrin racked her brain to conspire a comeback only to be retorted by a one-liner from Sokkia. The two girls enjoyed each other's earnest company, lying comfortably in bed as they shared a moment of bonding. Preparing themselves to face the upcoming gruelling mission with smiles and pleasantries.

"Alright, I might not be DTF, but I'm all for blowing loads. Wanna head down to the firing range?" Ultimately, Oldrin suggested a plan for self-improvement as she kicked her lazy bone to the curb.

"Well, if I can't turn you on, I can still turn off my safety and blast a hole in my temple."

Oldrin booted Sokkia on the butt for her gloomiest sense of humour, but that was what she was used to from the Glinda Knights' hyperactive CDO.

"~Turn me on, take me for a-hard-ride! ~Burn me out, leave me on the other side~!" Singing used to remind her of Marrybell and the worst of her tenacities, but maybe it was time to break out of her princess' shadow and blossom on her own.

— —

**Author's note**

What? A Marrybell chapter? Fuck, there goes my audience retention.

I was, and still am very conflicted over the flashback part of this chapter. I don't think it's inclusion is absolutely necessary, but explaining Marrybell's background for people who rightfully don't want to read the wiki to know her isn't a bad thing, though I made some changes so it's not all canon. (In canon the two Ozs lose their memories, it's kinda wacky.)

I don't think it's too far a stretch to say C.C. can see into the memories of other Geass users, so hopefully, we're all cool with having a bit of fiction in fanfic.

The story does feel like its slowly chugging along, maybe too slowly, sorry about that. I enjoy taking my time with the more introspective senses, even if everything is badly written and nothing is good. But then I guess it isn't all bad if you guys are still around. Increase my numbers by one if you feel inclined, bigger numbers are bigger than smaller numbers.

I haven't mentioned this in a bit, but please let me know if you spot a mistake somewhere, I'd be really grateful for it.

The word count for this chapter is 7786- 7787- 7788…


	24. Britannian Idiot

**Britannian Idiot**

**Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero**

**Aerial Battleship Avalon, Kyoto airport**

**A few hours after sending away Nonette**

"—Turns out there's a lotta people- whole countries, who want respect. And they will pay through the nose to get it. How do you think I got rich? I invented weapons. And now I have a weapon only I can defeat. And when I unleash it, I'll get… AHHh!" A log was thrown towards the spandex-wearing ginger, but he blocked it and zapped the protagonist with a finger beam.

"—You sly dog! You got me monologuing, I can't believe it."

Zoned out of his bored mind, the Suzaku slouching on the sofa remembered on a whim an old debate he held with Gino. The contention of animated movies and if they can be as good as live-action films. The details and the outcome eluded him now, given how long since it transpired, but one factor did stick to him rather clearly, the one thing that Gino said when the Knight of Zero lacked an enthusiastic drive.

"_Man, I mean… you gotta have an opinion, right? Wouldn't life be rather mundane if we're without passion?_"

Back then, he simply thought a discussion on the very subjective nature of moving pictures wasn't worth having, but as time passed, Gino's assessment was starting to chime closer and truer.

Was there anything he really cared about? Something he would be willing to invest precious daylight into for a leisurely reward, some activity that he would be purely intrinsically motivated to do?

Nothing came to mind.

_Maybe I do need to get a hobby…_

Nonetheless, if Suzaku aimed to strive to be a more interesting person, he wasn't going to start by becoming absolutely engrossed by a children's cartoon, like Euphemia was.

Not to say there was anything wrong with enjoying the animated film. On the contrary, Suzaku loved the way Euphie's irises glistered under the dimmed light of their private room aboard the Avalon.

After bidding goodbye to Nonette, the duo realized they found themselves in a unique period of triviality waiting for the Black Knights to make the delivery and their subsequent trip to Pendragon. Therefore, the pink-haired princess recommended watching a movie where they were the most comfortable, and Suaku saw no reason to refuse. While he knew back then as he did in the present that he wouldn't enjoy it to the same extent as Euphie, it eased his worry that she wasn't so upset like she was earlier.

What he did enjoy was wrapping an arm around Euphie's shoulder, appreciating her soft figure and their tender affection. Occasionally, he would discover a piece of popcorn on the tip of her slender fingers on a wonky flight path towards his mouth. Those were the tastiest bits of swelled corn he ever savoured.

Of course, the matter of their previous quarrel still lingered in the back of his mind. The remainder of an irrationally angry princess who was now snuggling against his chest. Her sweet fragrance and cushy lips coerced Suzaku to forget about her outburst and violence. After all, she was still under the burden of so much tragedy.

Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever, and the end of their unofficial date encroached by a ring of the room's landline. Euphemia paused the movie, in her eyes were the silent annoyance and disapproval for the disruption. Still, Suzaku had to take the call coming from Avalon's bridge, a literal call of duty.

"—Zero receiving you, send traffic." Suzaku answered, putting Cecile on speaker.

"—My Lord, the BK flagship has landed. They're requesting to speak to our captain." What a specific choice of words, he thought.

"—Roger, I'll be there soon."

After hanging up, Suzaku traded glances with Euphie to ask the unspoken question.

"I'm half a captain, right?"

"…Half is fair."

"Then I wanna come too." Euphemia vehemently announced, making it obvious there was no room for compromise.

"Are you sure? You know… you know?" Suzaku couldn't bear to tear off the bandage over his princess' emotional wound, not one that he wasn't sure had healed.

"Know what? What do I need to know about meeting some Japanese?" Her eerily playful voice presented her sharp sarcasm unhampered. Suzaku wasn't confident how he should treat the sensitive topic of the young royalty's embedded curse.

"This isn't another game. Can you control yourself? You'll be seeing actual Japanese people that aren't me."

"There… shall be an attempt. You've sufficed as a warmup for long enough, let me try this challenge." Perhaps that was the best both of them could hope for, to adapt and improve.

"In the case that you fail?"

"Then who else can stop you from manhandling me?"

"You aren't armed, are you?"

"…The law requires that I answer 'no'."

— —

On the enormous tarmac of the Kyoto airport, Suzaku and a security team made contact with an armed squadron of Black Knight elites. Bypassing the two factions standing in a circle were transport vehicles of varying sizes shipping cargo from one massive carrier to another, all of the supplies were by virtue of Kaguya's generosity.

"Sir Kururugi, I don't believe we have met." A stiff but humble Japanese man spoke to Suzaku, coming forth with his arm extended for a friendly handshake.

"Not officially, although I cannot say I am unfamiliar with the Black Knight's commander. Honoured to meet you, General Kaname Ohgi." Suzaku took the man's hand, initiating their first interaction with a steady grip and a firm gaze.

"No titles so fancy, mister will do just fine."

Ohgi naturally shifted his glance from Suzaku to the rest of his people. Out of all the unfamiliar faces in his crowd, there was one particular individual any Japanese person would immediately distinguish. And were they someone with the most basic knowledge of the most recent history, they had a completely justified reason to wish upon her a painful demise.

However, the Black Knight leader only focused a discreet stare towards Euphemia for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the Knight of Zero. Suzaku couldn't see whether his princess reciprocated the intense gaze, but her unmoving position behind him established her steadfast composure and presence.

The pause in the conversation was long and deliberate, but it arrived at its eventual end peacefully. "We recovered the survivors of the Toromo Agency attack, they're in transfer right now. We'll leave it to your people to figure out who's on whose side." Ohgi stated, moving on from whatever it was he wanted to say but retained regarding Euphemia.

"One of our knights was gravely injured, how is her condition?" Suzaku knew Kallen's identity was destined for exposure aboard the Black Knight's ship, but it didn't cost him anything to speak secretively.

"She is stable, nothing life-threatening… albeit still unconscious. We have done everything in our power to help her, the rest relies on your doctors." Hearing Ohgi's reassurance, Suzaku acknowledged the uplifting news with a nod.

"As the representative for His Majesty, I am tremendously grateful to the UFN and Black Knights for their assistance during our tiring hour."

"It's no bother, we'll help where we can." When Ohgi said nothing else that really warranted a response, Suzaku could sense the imminent conclusion to their gathering.

"If nothing else is of importance, I must prepare for departure. Thank you again, Mr. Kaname."

"Of course. Good luck." Once more, the captain of their respective fleets shook hands out of formality.

At the end of the day, Suzaku had learned nothing about the Black Knight's commander that he didn't wish to lay bare. Ohgi was a resolute man of considerable quality, and there was esteem for a person like him, even if the Round didn't particularly care either way.

Once they had moved away from the dispersed assembly, Suzaku was quick to check on his princess' wellness. "Euphie, still doing alright?"

Euphemia stumbled forward at the mention of her name, only saved from an embarrassing fall in the nick of time by Suzaku's catch. The close-call seemed to have brought her thoughts back from the blank void, the shine of her usual brilliance finally returned to her eyes.

"Woah, I wasn't even home back there."

"Yeah?" If Euphie could prompt her murderous tenacities to step outside when needed, that would be a spectacular development on her curse and evidence of her recovery. "I'm really glad you were okay, thanks for not doing anything crazy."

"I… I'll be alright." Euphemia struggled to match the care and endearment found in Suzaku's tone, but that was a matter he didn't have trouble ignoring. The same could be said for the white knuckles she tried to hide from his view as she interlinked their elbows.

"I think you can overcome this, you're stronger than it."

"Yeah…" Awkwardly, the third princess forced a smile to manifest. "Although, I won't refuse a good genocide." And just as awkwardly, Suzaku faked a laugh.

_We're getting there, we have to be._

"Oh, by the by. I saw Guilford back there. We should probably fetch him for my sis."

"You did? When?"

"He was just outside the BK airship, probably doing something."

"That's about a hundred metres away. You can't be sure that's him."

"What do you mean? He isn't Japanese." Euphie stated her case like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

_Baby steps… and babies learn the fastest._ Sensing Japanese at an inhuman distance was relatively better than wanting to kill them in inhuman ways.

**Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia**

**Aerial Battleship Grandberry, somewhere over the Pacific**

**The night before phase two of Operation Dorothy**

"_Everyone can cheer with the crowd whilst listening to a motivational speech… can you speak your mind to the masses without a pre-written script?_" Those were Lelouch's words, one out of many, wreaking havoc in the bottomless abyss of Marrybell's heart. For the moment, they were also the most relevant.

_You're such a fraud, brother._ Marrybell knew for a fact she had given emotional sermons and written enlightening orations. On the inside, she knew she was a talented public speaker and a motivator of crowds. However, her oozing confidence on the soapbox was not detached from the self-doubt she stowed away in her bedroom. On the backstage, Marrybell's sweat ran colder than anyone else, she questioned her own decisions more than anyone else, but that aspect of her was never meant to ever see the light of day, not ever.

Yet Lelouch managed to dig up her weakness, managed to unveil another one of her darkest secrets, her deepest fear.

_Except you didn't, you were just bluffing me._ Marrybell convinced herself of that reality, that Lelouch was not a deity as many of his loyal supporters believed, that he was still of blood and bone. _I won't be played for a fool ever again, brother. Your genius intellect won't survive a bullet to the brain._

What good could indecision do for her now, what use did hesitation serve when her back was already against the river. Marrybell collected herself as she prepared for a step out of the backstage towards the podium, this was already a plan in motion, she couldn't be stopped by her own inhibition anymore.

Especially not tonight, a night meant for celebration.

_~Don't-you-know I'm~ still~ standing~ better than I ever did~! Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid~!_

"-Alll-right! Hear me now, all the ladies and our three brutes of men! This is the climax of tonight's entertainment!" Spewing excitement with her every syllable as she announced over the microphone, Sokkia enraptured the horde of Devicers Marrybell entrusted her life to.

"We have here, our final guest, our beloved dictator-" Suddenly, Sokkia stuck the mic right next to her mouth and whispered, "-probably the only bitch you actually wanna kill tomorrow," She brought the mic away, resuming her usual antics and pretended she never uttered a word out of line. "She's here to show you how legends play a guitar one-handed, I present to you lassies! It's Marrybell!"

That was Marrybell's cue, and she followed it with all the elegance and delicacy one would expect from a princess attempting to pull off a coup the next morning. Complementing her grand entrance was the start of an instrumental version of Green Day's Know Your Enemy. Picking that significant song for the festivity's finale blanketed her under so many layers of irony she really wondered if she would ever remember the coolness of sincerity again.

With her electric guitar slung over her shoulder and her bad hand supporting the instrument from below, Marrybell took over the speaking role from Sokkia just as the lyrical part of the intro arrived. "~Do you know the enemy?! ~Do you know your enemy? ~Well, gotta know the enemy- oh-eh~!"

The royalty sung to her heart's content the only language she truly adored and understood, it was her performance that roused the souls of her soldiers, her conviction that inspired them to see past her sins and join her as partners in crime. In the front row, just below the podium were the two Ozs, she was holding a horns sign and lightly shaking it to the beat while he delightfully smiled on at her concert.

"~Well- violence is an energy~! Oh-eh, Oh-eh! ~Well- from here to eternity~! Oh-eh, oh-eh-oh! ~Well- violence is an energy~! Oh-eh, Oh-eh-oh! Well, silence is the enemy- so gimme- GIMME REVOLUTION~!"

Her blood pumped through her veins. Her spirit was burning with thrill under the heat of the spotlight as she tapped, plucked and strummed at strings over the fretboard. Having only one limb available meant she couldn't hold any of her notes, yet the listeners didn't seem to mind the imperfect quality of her performance.

Playing her guitar one-handed in reverse wasn't a technique she invented overnight, but a skill she mastered over months out of her love for the art. If the life she lived could be one free from unwanted obligation and unfair responsibility, rocking it out on stage was the way she sought to exist.

"~Do you know the enemy?! ~Do you know your enemy? ~Well, gotta know the enemy- OH-EH~!" The song was about to be over soon, but the moment will be engraved into her memories forever.

"~Overthrow the effigy, the vast majority- ~while burning down the foreman of control~! Oh-eh, oh-eh! ~Silence is an enemy, against your urgency- ~So rally up the demons of your soul! Oh-eh, OH-EH~!"

And the crowd went wild, hopefully out of exhilaration and not compulsion, Marrybell prayed to herself.

As Marrybell audibly exhaled after her jam, Sokkia took over to address the audience. "Here's your face when the princess you're serving who's basically a war criminal plays a song about the violent uprising against the state while about to commit a violent uprising against the state to dethrone her brother who violently overthrew the state."

"-Postmodern monarchy hype!" From amidst the concertgoers, somebody shouted a joke that earned her a ripple of cheers. Marrybell clapped on the wrist of her injured hand to appreciate the amusing paradox.

"Might makes right, but unironically!" Sokkia shouted her approval as well, obviously in sarcasm. "Can our princess affirm for me the legitimacy of our new motto?" She passed the attention back to Marrybell, putting her on the spot she wouldn't dare to leave empty.

"I'm pretty sure it's 'Kill all the fags that don't agree!'." A wave of side-splitting laughter echoed around the auditorium as all her pilots lost it at the young royalty's crude humour.

"-Alright, alright! Settle down!" When the howling didn't die down naturally, Sokkia had to be the bearer of bad news when she demanded silence. "We don't have all night for you animals to fling shit at the stage, the princess here actually has some stuff she wanna talk about!"

With the spotlight gleaming upon her exerted figure and the silence of bated breath awaiting her first note, Marrybell stilled her fretful nerves in the present where her restless soul resided. "Ladies, I… listen, why don't we all just take a deep breath? Let's all calm down a bit, pop a lid over your excitement and stuff. Really, just cool off now."

Marrybell maneuvered her wobbly legs to curl beneath her, taking a seat on the edge of the platform with her electric guitar resting over her thighs. Sokkia took a sport next to her and shut off her microphone, leaving the princess' voice as the only sound echoing in the concert hall.

Marrybell cast her luminous gaze out over the doddering wave of dim glow sticks, each pair representing a trusted soldier taken under her wing. Some of those girls had been with her since the initiation of her anti-terrorist task force, as far back as the day Oldrin first stamped the Glinda Knights' emblem onto her sleeves.

Her Devicers mostly clustered themselves by their squadrons, it wasn't a requirement, but probably because the ones who watched their backs the most often were also their closest buddies.

_Aerosmith, Eagles, Metallica, Nirvana, Zeppelin… and Sabbath. _Marrybell tried to identify each of the circles by their callsigns and was pleasantly satisfied when she recognized all of them. Of course, not everyone could be here, such as the foot-mobiles scattered across the five airships. But those in this room were secretly Marrybell's favourite, her closest and dearest guards.

_My Devicers… my feathers._

They were her soldiers, her aces, her colleague and companions. Marrybell was too high and mighty to drop 'L' bombs on a spontaneous whim, but she knew, at the core of her being, she adored all those girls valiantly flying under her banner. They gave up their chances at normality for her creed, they endorsed her cause for a better world in exchange for their own future.

"Now that's better, this way I can see all of you and you guys can do the same." The commotion had mostly died down now, everyone was waiting for her next words. "I just- err… I'm not sure, I thought I wanted to give a speech or something…"

Marrybell searched the depths of her mind, but all she recouped were untouched cue cards. Maybe Lelouch did have a point against her on pre-written scripts, maybe she wasn't as smooth as she liked to believe. "Let me start with this, see where we go." The melancholic commander wriggled her bottom, trying to place her body in a more comfortable position before she started her improvised oration.

"For phase one of the operation, we did great. Really, we did. We achieved all mission parameters, neutralized all hostile threats and- hmm… maintained a reasonable casualty rate." A more solemn atmosphere dawned on the party at her mention of the last bit, it was an intentional downer, but a subject she must discuss.

"We couldn't secure the HVT, and it's probably my fault, honestly. Call it a lapse in judgment, but I let him get away and that resulted in us… losing some folks." The last part of her confession came out only as a whimper. Against her rational coherence, Marrybell blamed herself for the KIAs, despite knowing it was impossible to undertake an operation like hers without losing someone.

"However, this's what I expect you to give for my dream… I am selfish, aren't I? And I won't even apologize. I expect everyone here to sacrifice themselves for this mission if it comes down to it. I know that all of you can, otherwise you won't be here, right?" Marrybell profoundly smiled at the many genuinely determined faces below her, herself probably mirroring their goodwill in her enchanted expression.

"Maybe those who left are actually the smart guys, and what we have here is a bunch of idiots." Humoured by her satirical provocation, the Glinda Knights laughed. "But all you stooges are my idiots… and I really just…" Somewhere amid her pep talk, she misplaced her charismatic charm and replaced it with a runny nose and puffy eyes. "God… I just… I love you girls so much…!"

As the tears dripped down her pink cheeks over her smudged makeup, Marrybell buried her face into the curves of her guitar to hide it from view. "If- if just one-! Just one person…! Asks me to abort this operation… I will! I will! I promise! We can all just run away… and-! And just go somewhere else… away from all of this!"

Quickly, with the gentlest touch, Sokkia pulled her crying princess into a tight cuddle, letting Marrybell bawl all her regret and fear into her bosom. In the crowd, many pairs of eyes were glistening the reflection of tragic tears under the flashing disco ball. Dwelling in the mournful tranquillity of sentimentality, the moment was put on pause waiting for someone, anyone to voice their objection for travelling the daunting path.

However, nobody did, and Marrybell knew, nobody will.

"I'm sorry… everyone, I'm so sorry." Slowly, Marrybell regained her composure. Shaking off the concerned look from her CDO, she steadied herself to sit properly on the stage. "I am a weak woman, the worst. I can't even focus on the journey ahead of me without wavering. I can't bear to look at all of you in the eyes when I'm asking you to die for me."

Nevertheless, it was Marrybell's obligation to do so regardless of the pain it struck upon her. To atone for her past sins and pave the road to a bright future free from suffering like what she went through.

"We're all with you, Marry. Our destiny is tied. Where you go, we go. This is our fate in the stars, no one here will lead you astray." Sokkia kindly consoled her, a good friend in her time of need.

The audience too shouted their words of encouragement, forgiveness and reassurance. All too eager to jump to their demise for the vision of one misfortunate princess with a noble goal.

All of them were her pilots, her crew. Marrybell used to think of herself as their saviour when she recruited them. For some, she believed her offer was a promotion over being just a face in a sea of anonymous mediocrity serving the crown, to become a soldier a cut above the rest. For others, she was offering them a path towards greatness where none existed, giving them an alternative from the prejudicial system that Britannia levied for its troops.

_Maybe… it's the other way around._ Perhaps that was also true, her knights always acquitted themselves as her diligent soldiers come hell or high water. Never once had they failed to complete a task she instructed or refuse a command she gave. Oftentimes it was their off-hour frolics or playful banter that restored her merriment when she found herself in a slump.

The saving wasn't nearly as one-sided as the old Marrybell envisioned. She could only be standing at the peak where she was now thanks to her devoted followers propping her up. And they weren't the type to let her fall so close to the sun.

_I am truly blessed… _Marrybell eked out a warm smile through her plops of tears, a newfound sense of gratitude for her comrades and commitment to her belief reignited the spark of ambition in her soul.

_This is my answer, Lelouch. My will is no less than yours._

"Man… all of you are the biggest dummies out there… only idiots throw their lives away for a dream, after all." The beloved commander of the Glinda Knights wiped away the colourful smears on her cheeks, unabashedly presenting her new unkempt appearance for all to see and chaff.

"That makes you one of us, don't it?" Sokkia glowingly commented, lending the princess a hand to get back on her feet.

"…I'm more thinking along the lines that… opposites attract." Marrybell lifted her head, along with her spirit and her guitar.

Where her fingers found the strings once more, that was when the music and enthusiasm returned to the masses, starting with a rap.

"-I'm M.C. Kat on the rap so mic it- here's a little story and you're sure to like it-" If there were some in the audience who thought Marrybell's talent with music was only limited to the chorus, they were surely blown away before the tune even arrived.

"~Baby~ seems we never~ ever agree…! You like the movies, and I~ like~ TV~!" The encore to the celebratory concert had just begun, and the end was nowhere near in sight.

"…Paula Abdul squadron when?" Sokkia wittily remarked, before shaking it to the beat as Marrybell delivered the performance of a lifetime.

The final night of the Glinda Knights' arduous voyage was still young and full of energy, much like the crew of aces preparing for the storm come morning.

**Oldrin Zevon, Glinda Knight Vice-Commander**

**Aerial Battleship Grandberry, over Britannia's west coast**

**September eighteen, 2018, the day**

Oldrin repeated the briefing in the back of her mind for the fifth time in about just as many minutes. Fortunately, there was plenty of room in the hangar bay for her to be so distracted as she maintained her service rifle by a spare workbench. Her place in the third phase of the operation was as clear as the reflex optic she peeked through attached to her gun. Wherever Marrybell points at, she goes. Whomever Marrybell sneers at, she kills.

_For Marry… for Marry, huh?_ She was her princess, her liege, her ex-best friend. Ex-best friend and lover? _Still my lover…?_

When Marrybell spilled her guts last night on stage and begged for someone sensible to put a stop to her madness, no one was more compelled to voice their utter dismay at the whole fiasco than Oldrin. It took every fibre of her self-resistant to hold her tongue in place as she begrudgingly let the opportunity to turn their ship around slip away.

Despite how much her soul yearned to accept her offer, Oldrin wasn't a child who couldn't read the subtlety in Marrybell's plea. The princess too understood the futility of wishing for the easy way out when they were so deep down the rabbit hole. Their future was already locked in place, the one-way street was disappearing behind them with every step they took.

Nonetheless, Oldrin couldn't forsake the hope that lingered somewhere within her she couldn't reach. Marrybell still hasn't given her a proper answer to the question she begged her to consider, she still hasn't decided if she wanted to celebrate her next birthday.

_But it isn't a 'no'._ And that contrived logic gave Oldrin the verve she needed to push forward, to secure the throne for her lord and afford her all the time in the world to hesitate.

The sound of her G36's bolt snapping forward woke Oldrin from her trance in the past. Evaluating the modular assault rifle now fully assembled and polished in her hands, she strapped the fully-automatic chambered in 5.56 back to her single point sling. The gun's suppressor clanked against her left arm. The quiet echo of metal bumping together briefly resonated.

"-Keeping your tools topped up, Madrid?" A sudden voice almost spooked the XO from behind, the name she was labelled by was a title that was supposed to be abandoned.

"Don't call me that, Aerosmith." Oldrin kept a steady clench on her weapon's grip, keeping her finger clear of the trigger, for the time being.

"Should've been smarter when picking sides, that's all I'm saying." The captain of Aerosmith squadron teased with a juvenile smirk. Reminding Oldrin of a complex period in her history when she briefly flew against the Viceroy of Area Twenty-four.

_The Star of Madrid… what good is a dream if you can't live to fulfill it._ And that was what she chose, living under Marrybell's thumb as opposed to having it squash her. To her own defense, the ideology her ragtag band of resistance passed on to her still flickered in her heart, only it was slowly being smothered by her greedy desire and selfishness.

"Do you really want to start some shit, 1-1?" Oldrin fired back. There was plain tension building in the air, tension that couldn't be dissolved or compressed.

"Hey, don't blame me for the revolutionists who poisoned your brainwashed mind." Oldrin stared down her fiery opponent in a chilling glare, neither of whom gave an inch in their hushed confrontation.

That lasted until Oldrin couldn't hold her muted giggle at bay and unleashed a flimsy ripple of chortles. "Jesus… that's so freaking bad… it's literally the opposite of the song!"

"~In the fields the bodies burning…! As the war-machine keeps turning~!" Aerosmith finally broke her serious façade as well and joined Oldrin in a short burst of laughter.

_It seems everyone wants a taste of mimicking Marrybell these days_.

"We're all war pigs on this glorious day, eh?"

"-What that a fucking JOJOOOOOOOO RefEreNcE?" From the sidelines, Sokkia jumped in out of nowhere and completely ruined the conversation with one line.

"Oh-my-god, you're an actual fucktard, Crasher. Nobody knows what the fuck that means!" Aerosmith blew up in Sokkia's face just before Oldrin was about to do the same.

"Word."

"C'mon, it's still funny though!"

"You're literally the only one who thinks it's funny. Knock it off already." In a more mature tone, Oldrin reprimanded her team's CDO.

For her trouble, Sokkia apologized in a wacky simper and a cute wink. Herself appeared all too eager to deploy judging by the bulletproof vest worn over her flight suit and a similar rifle dangling behind her back.

"Anyway, I'mma go finish my prep, anymore of your nonsense and I'll nosedive my craft straight down to the sea." Snickering away her usual annoyance at Sokkia, Aerosmith playfully smacked her in the centre of her plate carrier.

"Yee, see you in the sky, 1-1."

"And you too, Ozzy. Let me get to you none, yeah?" The chirpy pilot delivered Oldrin a more respectful farewell by patting her shoulder.

"Don't wank yourself too hard."

"Righto, because I can rely on you to give me the suck." Aerosmith spread a wide grin one last time as she ribbed on the Glinda Knights' ace, Oldrin's mischievous shove became her cue to stick her nose back to her own business. "And your pal Lyre still owes me for covering his tab last week! I'll hold your whole squad responsible if I don't get my coins!"

Oldrin waved away the captain of the squadron in her knight order with the second-highest proficiency rating, watching Aerosmith 1-1 until her shadow merged into the background of the Grandberry's hangar.

"She's a good kid, that Aerosmith. She wasn't always like this, when did she get so roguish?"

"…What a boomer thing to say." Oldrin shot her green-haired friend a look that spoke her infinite deposit of disappointment in no uncertain term. It must have taken all of Sokkia's self-restraint to disengage instead of going on another insane tirade about how she was relevant.

The CDO waited for the jolly moment to pass before her simper gradually nullified to a slight frown. "She looked up to you, you know? Many of us did."

"Before I…?"

"Yeah, before you left us and-" Sokkia appeared to have more to say, but the remorseful lour Oldrin couldn't contain must have tied her tongue. "Still, everybody makes mistakes, and everyone here has the memory of a goldfish."

"I don't… I don't regret what I did. Marrybell- she… what she did isn't just. Oppressing all those people…" Oldrin pitched her sullen glance downwards, ignoring the sympathetic look Sokkia was shooting her. The frail defense she constructed around her sense of justice could never withstand a blow from reality, and she understood that clearer than anyone.

"But would you do it again?"

That question struck a chord somewhere within Oldrin, a line of thought she never experimented with. Failing to provide a swift reply, she couldn't help it as her expression mingled into a blend of every type of sorrow.

"I… I dunno, I really don't." Eventually, the caramel-haired knight managed to concoct a non-answer that probably wouldn't appease the densest of babies.

"Then don't worry so much over it."

Was it that simple? Could her grief be forgotten just like that?

"Yeah… maybe, maybe." It was worth a try. "Let's finish this fight at hand."

"There she is." In the very depth of her heart, Oldrin truly hoped Sokkia was on the mark with her statement, for hers and Marrybell's sake.

In a timely manner, one of the head mechanics marched towards the duo with a tablet tucked under her arm just when Oldrin sought a distraction. "-Sabbath squadron, here's your updated mission parameter, review it on your way down. The VTOL is ready. RV with our escort on the ground. Good luck to you." After passing off the touchscreen, the technician wandered off elsewhere in a flash.

"We have green light." Sokkia stated the obvious while Oldrin studied the information the mechanic provided her.

_Sabbath 2-1… _Her usual callsign, her familiarized squad. It was the symbol of the wings she pridefully flew by when her talents behind the sticks were needed once more. A squadron named after Black Sabbath and herself was its lead vocalist, the connection was obvious, if not a bit juvenile.

_Black Sabbath… you trying to say anything, Marry? _Oldrin could never see through Marrybell and her shrewd sense of humour, and the royalty had always kept that affiliation as their status quo.

"Hey, what's gotten your interest? Any deviations from the briefing?" Sokkia slashed away Oldrin's brooding, mistaking her musing for intrigue at the information presented by the tablet.

"No, it's just…" But that wasn't to say there was nothing out of line. "I see one alteration."

"Which is?" In the distance, quickened footsteps rapidly neared.

"-Ma'am! Marika Soresi reporting for duty!" The recurring member of the Glinda Knights proudly stood before her new commander. Oldrin was eased into the unanticipated aid's arrival by the tablet's heads-up, Sokkia just gawked at the newcomer,

"And other than warming my bed, what duty are you reporting in for, cutie?" As expected of the 'Crasher', the first thing off her tongue coming out of her stupor was sexual harassment. Marika blushed a deep crimson, honestly surprising the XO that she wasn't used to it yet.

"You know she's gonna marry Leon."

"And I wanna CUCK him!" Whatever strange rivalry Sokkia had with the captain of their cavalry division, that was up to them to work out.

"Yeah, good luck with that, faglord." Oldrin dismissed her eccentric buddy, preferring to speak with the more sensible young girl instead. "-Ignore this fool, Soresi. But are you really transferring to our unit?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have my papers right here." Marika clicked a few times on her smartphone, and Oldrin's beeped not a dozen seconds later.

Reading over the transcript of Marika's orders, the only thing that jumped out at Oldrin was the issuer of her new instructions. It came down from Marrybell herself, but she made it clear there was room open for repeal if the XO wanted to reject the candidate.

"You do understand we're going room-clearing down there, right?" Sokkia refreshed Marika's memory in the case she thought their plan included window-shopping. "We're acting as foot-mobiles, you'll be on the frontlines."

Marika slightly swallowed a gulp of air stuck in her throat, but she kept her stance firm and unwavering. "Yes, ma'am. I passed my infantry training."

"Let's see it. Weapon at the ready." Oldrin issued a simple command that was received and executed by Marika. She swiftly adjusted the sling over her shoulder and brought her submachine gun to the forefront of her figure. One hand holding tightly onto the foregrip and the other around the pistol grip, good trigger discipline was demonstrated in the finger that stayed cleanly out of the trigger guard.

"Check safety." Marika tilted her MPX a little to the left until the fire selector was plainly visible, her movement was simplistic and professional, not too shabby even by Oldrin's standards.

"Aim forward." The suppressed muzzle was steadily pointed somewhere deserted without a soul in sight.

"Fire." The trigger clicked, but obviously, no round was discharged.

"Tac-reload." After pressing the mag release, the old magazine was stashed on her vest while a new one replaced it.

"Speed-reload." Faster than her last, Marika let the used magazine hit the floor as she inserted the new mag before the ejected box impacted the deck.

"At ease." Overall, Leon's fiancée was a skilled shooter from what little Oldrin observed. Her stance with her firearm was proper and her discipline was on point. Her limbs were firm where they needed to be and relaxed where they needed to be, there was no reason for her superior to refuse the assistance of this operative from a purely tactical standpoint.

"-Hey, I just realized, why aren't you flying with your boyfriend?" Sokkia spoke the first thing on her mind once Marika was finished reviewing her basic training.

"I… I was shot down during the second battle over Tokyo…" Meek embarrassment hindered the girl from projecting her voice any louder than a whisper.

"Lmao, what a shitter."

"-By the Red Comet."

Sokkia momentarily paused her sarcastic taunt, "Lmao, still a shitter, but it's an excuse." Her sardonic jibbing could never keep itself away for too long. "Anyway, go grab yourself a new frame, not like we're short on those around here. I'm way more scared of a bad shooter than a bad pilot."

That was a fair argument Sokkia offered both against Marika's involvement and for showing where she stood in the decision. "It's actually why I'm on your team. I submitted a secondary objective, and Sabbath is the closest unit available to carry it out, therefore Her Highness allowed my attachment to your unit."

Inquisitive of what Marika revealed, Oldrin skimmed through the rest of her updated order in detail. Something indeed popped out as a freshly appended mission, one that surely earned its inventor a heap of praise for its design. "That's… that's pretty smart. -Sokkia, check it."

When the concerned vice-commander passed her tablet to her friend, her nutcase of a wingman was also impressed. "Damn, girl. That's galaxy-brained. It's well thought out."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Marika readily saluted her seniors for their admiration, making it even more difficult to turn her down.

"It shouldn't be a hassle to make that detour. But is this the only reason you want in? Anyone here can fly." Oldrin found herself in a rather awkward spot since she definitely wasn't too exultant about sending a girl so young onto the battlefield where bodies lay piled.

"I'll still be yours, ma'am. I'm a part of your team. on the ground or in the air."

"It doesn't _have _to be you, do you understand?"

"It's everything I can do for you guys… for us. Even though I'm not a full-fledged Glinda Knight, everyone's been treating me so kindly. Leon and I can't just hide ourselves away when the rest of you are putting your lives at risk." The earnest gratitude in Marika's shining irises was blindingly angelic, almost burning away the encumbrance of what they were about to commit.

"And… it's the closest I'll get to spitting in Stadtfeld's face or on her grave." For the orphaned girl robbed of her brother and best friend by the talons of the Black Knight's ace, that was warranted revenge.

A gentle tug of her sleeve notified Oldrin of Sokkia's intention to speak in private, something she agreed wholeheartedly. After indicating her request for confidentiality, she stepped away from Marika with the usually hyperactive CDO who now wore a muted frown.

"I'm against this, just so you know." Uncaring about courtesy, Sokkia straight up stated her criticism. "This is literally a fucking death flag staring us in the face. This is her last operation before an honourable discharge and marriage, you think about that for a sec."

Of course, Oldrin considered the truth of the matter, how could she forget the invitation to their wedding sitting in her locker. "She knows what she's betting."

"But she's just a kid! How can we do that to a child?"

"Not everyone can afford to grow up, sometimes adulthood just comes at you." Oldrin would know, she was there when an immature princess was thrust into the headlamp, into a bloodbath of conspiracy and betrayal. Same for herself when the duty of a protector called upon her. She learned how to wield a sword before she learned how to wield lipstick.

"It doesn't have to! Not at her!"

"Look at her, she's ready for this. We don't decide who's old enough to bleed." Not too far away from the two officers, Marika stood at attention. Her back straightened and her limbs tense, the stature of a soldier and the expression of an adult.

Sokkia couldn't bring herself to meet Marika's assiduous gaze, her head tilted downwards in shame of being a part of the group that introduced teenage girls to the theatre of war.

"We were once like her, quivering in our boots at the sound of cannons. This is why we're fighting against this tired system, so that girls like her, like us, won't ever know the smell of gunpowder." Even if the method to achieve that end wasn't one Oldrin agreed with, she still believed in the change Marrybell strived to bring.

When the quiet XO kept her silence, Oldrin invited Marika to hear her verdict. "Dame Soresi, are you going out there to die?"

"No, ma'am!"

"Are you going out there to kill?" That was a trickier dilemma than before.

Marika hesitated a little, unsure if she believed the answer on the edge of her lips. "I'll be going out there to make a difference."

"…You're ready. Just act like it once we're in the mud. Callsign is Sabbath 2-4, acknowledge and read back."

"Yes, ma'am! Sabbath 2-4 ready to deploy!" Marika replied with a smile, not an elated or a gleeful one, but determined.

Sokkia released a sigh of vacillation before accepting the immoral yet necessary conclusion. She soon replaced her rare scowl with the usual annoyingly cheeky smirk. "I'll keep you safe in the field, kiddo. You have my word. Just do me a favour and peg your boyfriend in the ass once we're done."

Loss for a response, Marika flushed her cheeks in a shade of red as Oldrin smacked her friend over the head. It seemed everything was back the way they were meant to be, twisted and wicked though it may be.

In the time it took for the trio to devise a ruling, the massive gateway separating the hangar and the outside sky had slid open in preparation for the first wave of Marrybell's soldiers to descend upon the capital. Oldrin peered out towards the vast chasmal blue in the distance divided by the landscape of Britannia's west coast. A splendid sight like no other was before the steadfast Devicer, the magnificent state of California and the marvellous architecture of Pendragon were in plain view before the Glinda Knights' ace.

_It's beautiful… _Oldrin promised herself she'll engrave this vista into her memory before razing the symbol of a decaying monarchy to the ground. _And we'll build an even grander throne for Marry._

"You wanna offer a word to this lovely capital? I mean, it is our homeland we're waging war against." Sokkia nudged her partner in crime as their group boarded the VTOL.

Oldrin thought of what she could say to her birthplace, and something did come to mind. "~California~ rest in peace~! Simul~ta~ne~o~us release~! California~ show your teeth~! She's my priestess- I'm your prieee~st~! Yeeee~ah~ yeeee~ah!"

"Man, how much does it hurt you that 'Red Hot Chili Peppers squadron' doesn't roll off the tongue?"

— —

**Author's note**

Longer chapter, fewer words from me.

What? Green Days wouldn't exist in CG canon? Well, don't worry about it.

What? The Incredibles wouldn't exist in CG canon? Well, don- hey! You can't prove that.

Why is Pendragon in CA? Just to make my reference work, but also you see in canon it's a desert city, so it works out.

Finally we're doing the thing where the two opposite sides come together and they fight, that conflict thing.

Summer is kill, no more consistent uploads, big oof. School is bad, but what can do?

Like always thanks for checking me out and click the nice buttons if you want. Excuse any mistakes in spelling or grammar and let me know so they can be fixed.


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